Top 5 weapons at Michigan Football’s disposal ahead of 2025 season

The Wolverines might look different in 2025, but the firepower is still there. Here are the top 5 weapons that Michigan should lean on this fall:

The Michigan Wolverines may be in the quiet stretch of the offseason, but there’s no shortage of reasons to be excited about the 2025 season. Despite all the changes, they are still loaded with talent and potential difference-makers all over the field.

From a dominant defensive front to a revamped backfield and a five-star quarterback, here are the top-five weapons Michigan will rely on this fall.

5. Chip Lindsey

It’s not just about who Michigan has on offense — it’s about who’s calling the shots. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey arrives like a breath of a fresh air to a program that was an embarrassment to the forward pass last season. Lindsey is expected to modernize the Wolverines’ offense without abandoning the physical run game that has defined the program in recent years.

Expect more spread concepts, a faster tempo, and a bigger emphasis on creating mismatches in space. If Michigan’s offense is going to turn things around, it’ll be in part because of Lindsey.

4. Dominic Zvada

Special teams don’t always get the spotlight, but Dominic Zvada should once again be one of the most important pieces to the team. He was one of the most consistent kickers in college football in 2024, and he brings stability to a special teams unit that struggled at times last year.

Zvada adds a layer of comfort we all know could be the difference in the Wolverines’ biggest moments, just like it was last year against Ohio State.

3. Bryce Underwood

The buzz around Bryce Underwood is very real — and no, your grumbling about his spring game completion percentage isn’t going to change that. The former five-star and No. 1 overall recruit is gearing up to compete for the starting job in Ann Arbor, and at this point, it’s looking more like a matter of when, not if, he takes the field.

Underwood has all the measurables of a star quarterbacl. If he wins the job, he’ll be the centerpiece of a new-look offense and could be Michigan’s most statistically successful quarterback since Denard Robinson. Growing pains are bound to happen, as they do with most freshmen, but his ceiling is sky-high.

2. The Run Game

The Michigan spring game didn’t feature many offensive fireworks, but running back Justice Haynes gave fans something to cheer about.

It was a much-needed spark in the game and just a preview of what he can do. If the Wolverines make him a focal point of the offense, there’s every reason to believe those big plays will keep coming.

Jordan Marshall is the perfect complement to Haynes — explosive, shifty and able to pick up tough yards after contact. Together, Haynes and Marshall give Michigan a one-two punch that can control tempo, chew up the clock and break open games.

Whether Haynes and Marshall can replicate the dynamic duos of recent memory remains to be seen, but all the makings are there for this to be an elite backfield.

1. The Defensive Line

The heart of Michigan’s 2025 team lies in the trenches. With returning veterans and transfer additions, the Wolverines’ defensive line is as stacked as ever. Rayshaun Benny anchors the interior, while Tre Williams and Damon Payne Jr. round out a respectable three-man front.

On the edge, veterans Derrick Moore and T.J. Guy are back as seasoned disruptors, and youngsters Dominic Nichols and Cameron Brandt are set to rotate in and wreak some havoc of their own. This group is deep, physical and relentless — perfectly built to control the line of scrimmage and carry Michigan’s defense throughout the season.