Michigan football spring game final thoughts: Breakout star, a mild concern and more

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Here are some final thoughts on Michigan’s spring game, starting with the breakout star that everyone saw coming …

1. Jalen Hoffman? OK, I didn’t see that one coming. I did, however, project Hoffman to make Michigan’s 105-man roster before spring practice, primarily because of his versatility as a tight end and a backup to fullback Max Bredeson.

All Hoffman did was catch seven passes for 148 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown from Bryce Underwood on the game’s final play. Hoffman, who came to Michigan as a preferred walk-on from Lake Braddock, Va., made a strong case that he belongs on the roster, even with seven other tight ends on scholarship.

“I’m just trying to do everything I can,” Hoffman said. “I can play fullback and tight end. I’m just trying to improve on that and have a place where I don’t have to come out of the game because I can’t run routes or I can’t block.”

By my math, Michigan had a handful of spots available for preferred walk-ons heading into the spring. Several additional spots have opened since then due to a flurry of transfers last week. With most of the starters out after the first quarter, the spring game was a chance for players near the cut line to solidify their spots.

Bredeson is going to get most of the snaps at fullback and H-back, but Hoffman showed his value as a backup and a potential replacement for Bredeson next season.

“We have a deep tight end room,” Hoffman said. “Every day it’s a battle to carve out a role for yourself.”

2. A few players whose stock is rising: edge Dominic Nichols, linebacker Cole Sullivan, cornerback Jeremiah Lowe and wide receiver Channing Goodwin.

Nichols had one of the most impressive defensive reps of the day, getting around Andrew Babalola for a sack of Jadyn Davis. Sullivan was in the backfield quite a bit and lined up on the edge a time or two, which was an interesting wrinkle. Lowe had two interceptions and could be poised to move up on the depth chart following the departure of Ja’Den McBurrows.

As for Goodwin, Underwood targeted him nine times, the most of any wide receiver. It produced only three receptions, but they were close to connecting a few other times, once on a deep shot when Goodwin was running wide open in the end zone. Goodwin wears No. 14, the same number Roman Wilson wore, and the physical resemblance is hard to miss. On a team that needs wide receivers to step up, Goodwin showed some encouraging signs.

3. Micah Ka’apana and Bryson Kuzdzal were the primary running backs for their respective teams, with Ka’apana grinding out 34 yards on 15 carries and Kuzdzal rushing 14 times for 105 yards. A few hours after the game, Michigan signed UMass transfer CJ Hester, a clear indication that the Wolverines weren’t entirely satisfied with their running back depth. On Monday, Michigan added another running back in Princeton transfer John Volker, who averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season. With Benjamin Hall entering the portal last week, Hester and Volker should battle for the No. 3 running back spot in preseason camp.

Welcome to Ann Arbor, @JohnVolker3! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/8cDQE5bIrI

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) April 21, 2025

Hester’s two best games last season came against SEC opponents: 74 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against Georgia and 62 yards on 13 carries against Mississippi State. He’s cut from the same cloth as Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes as a compact back who can run through contact at 5 foot 11 and 190 pounds. Volker gives Michigan another north-south runner with power (6-footer and 215 pounds). Whatever flaws Michigan might have on offense, the Wolverines are built to wear people down with the running game, and these two signings reinforce that idea.

We’ll have to see if adding Hester and Volker has a ripple effect for other players on the roster. With three transfers and two freshmen, Michigan’s running back position will look a lot different than it did a year ago, when Tony Alford was working primarily with running backs he inherited.

4. If Michigan adds another player from the portal, offensive tackle should be a priority. The Wolverines came out of the spring with three offensive line starters more or less locked in: Giovanni El-Hadi at left guard, Greg Crippen at center and Andrew Sprague at right tackle. Evan Link is the leader in the clubhouse at left tackle, but he didn’t necessarily run away with the job.

Michigan has three solid contenders for two spots in Link, Cal Poly transfer Brady Norton and third-year player Nathan Efobi, plus Ferris State transfer Lawrence Hattar, who arrives in the summer. Babalola, a five-star freshman and the top pick in the spring game draft, could play his way into that group as well, though he had some typical freshman hiccups while starting for the Maize team at left tackle. Even without a lot of blitzing, the defense was able to generate quite a bit of pressure on the quarterbacks, and that has to be a least a mild concern entering the summer.

5. Saturday was a tough day for Davis, the redshirt freshman quarterback who’s competing with Underwood for the starting job. He finished 6 for 17 and threw two interceptions. There were a few nice moments buried in there, including a completion to Donaven McCulley and a deep shot that glanced off of his wide receiver’s hands. After getting a longer look at Davis, it was easier to see why Michigan was hesitant to throw him into the fire last season, even with the quarterback position in disarray.

If Davis hadn’t gotten the five-star label early in his high school career, it would be easier to think of him as a developmental prospect whose best football might be two or three years down the road. At this point, that’s probably the most accurate assessment. As long as he likes the development he’s getting at Michigan, there’s no reason to get antsy for a change of scenery.

“Every single day, he got better,” coach Sherrone Moore said. “Bryce made him better, and he made Bryce better. That was cool to watch throughout the spring.”

6. Presented with minimal comment: Dillon Tatum, a veteran cornerback who appeared in 22 games in three seasons at Michigan State, announced plans to enter the transfer portal on Monday. Tatum played at West Bloomfield High School, the school that produced Donovan Edwards and Makari Paige, and has lots of in-state connections.

pic.twitter.com/1Xht82e0OY

— Dillon Tatum ¹ᵏ (@thegovernor_1k) April 21, 2025

Tatum started eight games in 2023 before missing most of last season with an injury. Whether it’s Tatum or someone else, Michigan would benefit from adding another experienced DB who can play cornerback or nickel. Shamari Earls is going to be an excellent player, but he’s still learning. It’s hard to know what to expect from Jyaire Hill, and adding another veteran would be reassuring.

7. But Michigan has to be happy with what it saw from TJ Metcalf and Tevis Metcalf, the brothers who transferred from Arkansas. With Brandyn Hillman emerging as a potential starter alongside Rod Moore at safety, TJ Metcalf could end up playing nickel, though he saw time at high safety in the spring game. Tevis is a year younger and didn’t have as much production on film, but his interception of Underwood was another example of the playmaking ability Michigan saw from him this spring. If I were projecting the two-deep right now, I’d have both Metcalf brothers on there somewhere.

8. In the news everyone was waiting for, Michigan landed its punter in Missouri transfer Luke Bauer, who averaged 41.8 yards per attempt with 13 punts inside the 20 last season. With Tommy Doman transferring to Florida, Michigan had tight end Marlin Klein backing up punter Hudson Hollenbeck in the spring. Hollenbeck had a solid showing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, but it seemed likely that Michigan would try to add an experienced punter during the spring portal window. Bauer, a sixth-year grad student, fits.

Punting was hardly Michigan’s biggest concern last year, but it was a sneaky contributor to the Wolverines’ struggles early in the season. The offense was going three-and-out a lot, and Michigan gave away yards on special teams that put the defense in tougher positions. If Bauer can correct that, it could help the defense improve on its numbers from the first part of last season.

9. Given the jumbled-up rosters, it’s best not to read too much into the outcome of a spring game. We didn’t see much of McCulley, Marshall or Haynes, though we saw enough to confirm that they’ll be three of Michigan’s most important players. As you might expect, there wasn’t a lot of consistency from the patchwork offensive lines. Even if the scrimmage wasn’t fully indicative of Michigan’s offensive potential, it’s fair to say that Michigan’s defense is significantly deeper and more advanced at this stage of the offseason.

“It’s been fun to watch the competitive nature of both sides,” Moore said. “It’s made the offense take it up to the next level. The defense is usually ahead of the offense, just in general, but they’ve taken the steps necessary to be an explosive offense.”

10. A final thought on Underwood, whose first appearance in a Michigan uniform left everybody wanting — and expecting — more. Underwood had several nice plays that didn’t show up in the box score, including a well-placed back-shoulder throw to Jamar Browder that probably should have been a touchdown. He was a fearless passer in high school, willing to challenge the coverage and squeeze the ball into tight windows. He’s still figuring out what he can get away with against college DBs, and his timing and footwork weren’t always in sync. One thing he showed this spring, beyond his obvious talent, was an ability to lead the team. That’s not a given for a 17-year-old freshman, and it’s another reason to believe he’s ready to be Michigan’s starting quarterback.

“With a guy that’s so highly ranked and highly touted, it’s easy for a lot of guys to deflect and not want to be part of the team,” Moore said. “They’ve just embraced him like they embrace everybody else, and he’s embraced the team.”

(Photo of Bryson Kuzdzal: Mike Mulholland /Getty Images for ONIT)

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