The Michigan Wolverines are in the midst of spring ball right now, and one of the key positions we are looking at this spring is along the edge.
The Wolverines ended with 21 sacks last season, which was a drop-off from the 36 sacks they had in 2024, albeit they had to top-10 defensive linemen on that unit. But sacks aren’t everything — at the end of the season, Michigan still had a pass rush that was 17th nationally, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Still, there was a significant decline in Michigan’s dominance in the trenches last year, and things need to improve under first-year defensive coordinator Jay Hill. Here are three things the Wolverines can prioritize this offseason to help improve their pass rush prior to the 2026 season kicking off.
Get transfer John Henry Daley healthy
Utah transfer John Henry Daley could be a major force on the defensive line…as long as he’s healthy.
He was an All-American last year after compiling 48 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. However, he suffered an Achilles injury at the end of last season and is still recovering. He is projected to return around June 1, so he will miss all of this spring as he continues to get healthy.
The mission here is simple — don’t rush Daley back and do all you can to get him back to 100 percent health by the time Western Michigan comes to town in Week 1. A healthy Daley showed us what he could do last season, and there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t be able to replicate that in Ann Arbor.
Get junior Dominic Nichols and sophomore Nate Marshall to take a leap
Junior Dominic Nichols and sophomore Nate Marshall have the potential to take a huge leap ahead of 2026.
Nichols finished with 19 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and one sack last season, but there is a lot more of his game that can be untapped. Meanwhile, Marshall only had six tackles last season, but he has an incredibly high ceiling and is an athletic freak.
If edge coach Lewis Powell gets the most out of these two guys, they could be a huge part of Michigan’s defensive end rotation in 2026.
Help Cam Brandt make a bigger impact
Looking at PFF from 2025, it’s easy to see Cam Brandt has room for improvement. The senior finished with just 22 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and an overall grade of 59.2. That’s not really great given the fact he had 405 snaps.
This will be Brandt’s fourth season at Michigan. He has the experience and leadership to play a big role, but the coaching staff needs to figure out how to best use him. The Wolverines need Brandt to bring his game to another level in 2026.
What do you think about Michigan’s defensive ends this season? Let us know in the comments below!