College coaches name Michigan football top sleeper team for 2026

Despite few predicting major success this season, some college coaches believe Michigan football might surpass expectations. Among them are coaches from the American Conference and Mountain West, who have placed their faith in newly appointed head coach Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham, who previously led Utah to success, is expected to maximize the talent he has at his disposal at Michigan Stadium.

The Athletic interviewed anonymous coaches around the country, and Michigan emerged as the team with the most potential, receiving three votes as the "sleeper" of the nation. One American Conference tight ends coach expressed confidence in Whittingham's ability to make the Wolverines competitive, predicting a 10-2 record if they underperformed. Similarly, a Mountain West offensive line coach believes Whittingham can harness the unique identity of Michigan's program, resulting in rapid improvement.

Though Michigan's schedule features challenging opponents, past preseason overestimations have sometimes turned out to be inaccurate. For instance, last year, Penn State and Clemson were preseason favorites, only to finish unranked. Likewise, LSU often begins in the top 10 but has struggled since their 2019 national championship.

The 2021 Michigan team defied expectations, going 11-1 and defeating a highly-rated Ohio State team in Ann Arbor. With a new coaching regime and strong player leadership, Michigan might replicate that success, though the path to the College Football Playoff looks significantly more difficult than it did in 2021.