Aside from the obvious (QB Bryce Underwood), these are the other Michigan Football true freshmen that have a shot at burning their redshirts in 2025:
As the college football world continues to change, so too does roster management. Redshirts used to be commonplace for all but the most special of all incoming freshmen. Nowadays, if you redshirt a player, you run the risk of him becoming discontent and looking for greener pastures elsewhere.
With that being said, coaching staffs still look to redshirt players who need an added year of physical development wherever they can. Bryce Underwood will almost assuredly not be redshirting this season as his talents will be needed early and often, but who else is likely to burn their redshirt for the Michigan Wolverines .
Here are a few to consider.
WR Jamar Browder
The wide receiver room has been fairly criticized, especially in 2024. Sherrone Moore and Ron Bellamy went after wide receivers with height and length, and Browder (6-foot-4) fits the bill.
Browder will be one of the lankiest receivers in the room this fall. He impressed during the spring game and has been one of the first names from coaches when talking about the receiver room this offseason so far. Don’t be surprised to see him line up out wide in more than just four games this fall.
OT Andrew Babalola
Moore and company put in the leg work to secure Babalola’s services. He has routinely been praised by the coaching staff and was the first overall pick in the coaches’ spring game draft.
Historically, offensive linemen are the most likely to redshirt of any position. However, the offensive tackle spot has been shaky of late. It would not surprise to see Babalola’s redshirt burned in order to shore up the line this season.
Edge Nate Marshall
Marshall was a rare breed of recruit who committed to a school (Michigan), flipped to a different school (Auburn), and then returned to his initial commitment. That doesn’t happen often, but Michigan should be grateful it did in this instance.
He has one of the more college-ready builds in his recruiting class. Some schools may view him as a bit of a “tweener” since he’s part defensive tackle, part edge rusher and part linebacker, but this fits in perfectly with Wink Martindale’s defense.
CB Shamari Earls
Of all the players on this list, Earls is the one I’m most confident will burn his redshirt. He was a head-to-head recruiting win over Georgia, which doesn’t happen very often. He has already been granted the vaunted No. 2 jersey and has repeatedly been talked up by the coaching staff.
Michigan is in a good spot at cornerback, so Earls playing would not be out of necessity. However, he is the most likely to force the coaches’ hand, as he appears likely to play his way onto the field. If Earls is only going to be in Ann Arbor for three years before heading off to the NFL, it would behoove the coaches to get every ounce of production out of him while he’s still here.
S Jordan Young
It’s rare for safeties to play as true freshmen, but this may be out of necessity if Rod Moore isn’t a full go. Moore just recently began running at full speed again, so it could be asking a lot for him to get fully healthy and back to playing at an elite level so fast.
Michigan has a vast amount of depth at safety, but no obvious 1-for-1 replacements. Young would instantly be in the mix — his high recruiting ranking, playing style and football instincts all remind me of Moore himself. Should he fend off the Metcalf brothers, Young could be in line for playing time as a true freshman.