00:00The list of established stars around college football during 2026 is both
00:03glitzy and robust,
00:06but every season produces a set of surprise stars,
00:09players who emerge from under the radar and enter the spotlight.
00:11Some of the names of the list will be recognizable as they've shown
00:14production,
00:14either with their current teams or former ones.
00:16Some of them are coming off injuries or have reduced roles behind a stab of
00:18stars.
00:19None of them appears in ESPN's top 100 players for the 2026 season.
00:24I surveyed coaches and every powerful conference,
00:26as well as others from a group of six to identify sleepers for this fall.
00:31So we asked a question and I will tell you that not one Spartan nor Wolverine
00:35made the list.
00:37But we want to know from Michigan and Michigan state fans,
00:41who is that sleeper player for you from your roster that maybe isn't getting
00:47talked about a ton,
00:50but you think could break out and be a star this year.
00:562-4-8-5-3-9-9-9-7-9-7-9-7.
00:58We tweeted that out and got a bunch of answers.
01:01Getter,
01:01do you want to give one for Michigan state or do you want me to start reading
01:03some of the answers here first?
01:05I'll offer up one.
01:07If you look at the two deep depth chart online,
01:10which is do that with your own risk because they don't put out depth charts,
01:14but you can find some out there that have nothing to do with the university.
01:18Somebody else put it together.
01:19Yep.
01:19I'm going to go with somebody who's an edge rusher on this team.
01:22A redshirt sophomore.
01:23Got a little bit of a taste of playing time last year.
01:26I had two sacks last year.
01:27It was a transfer from Wisconsin,
01:28I believe.
01:29A Hawaiian player.
01:32Anelu Lafiale.
01:34And I think that this is a guy that I remember watching last year,
01:39like flashed.
01:39I saw a big number 11,
01:40like who's this guy?
01:41My LA.
01:42Hmm.
01:42Interesting.
01:44I just feel like,
01:45okay,
01:46good start last year.
01:47Maybe a larger role being part of the rotation this year.
01:50Maybe he's,
01:51maybe just,
01:52maybe he can be one of these pass rushing specialists.
01:56Okay.
01:57I'm going to,
01:57I'm going to give you a name from Michigan.
01:59Michigan that is a player that if he doesn't break out this year,
02:06I think he has got an extraordinarily bright future.
02:10I mean,
02:11a really bright future.
02:13And I think he might get a chance this year.
02:17Freshman tight end,
02:18Mason Bonner.
02:20He's six feet,
02:22seven inches tall.
02:23He is a monster.
02:25And I've seen a little bit of him in practice,
02:27but in talking with people,
02:30he catches everything.
02:33The one thing working against him.
02:35And one of the reasons why he probably isn't creating buzz is because he's
02:40six feet,
02:41seven inches tall,
02:42229 pounds.
02:43And he has to put on some weight to play the tight end position in the big
02:4610,
02:47but it could happen quickly as a playmaking tight end.
02:52But if,
02:53if it's not this year,
02:55it's going to be as soon as he does put on the weight,
02:57because he is an impressive physical specimen.
03:00How has Whittingham,
03:02this might be unfair,
03:03but I think you're going to have the answer.
03:05Okay.
03:06How has Whittingham used tight ends in the past at Utah?
03:09Because obviously Michigan under Harbaugh and was thrown more.
03:13It was a focal point and they've produced a bunch of,
03:16of tight ends in the NFL.
03:18Was that part of the bag of tricks there with,
03:21I don't,
03:21I don't know necessarily,
03:23but I've asked him actually that question amongst others.
03:26And yeah,
03:26they really,
03:27really liked the tight end position and make it a part of the,
03:30part of the offense.
03:32And,
03:34you know,
03:35Jason Beck,
03:35the new offensive coordinator has spoken about the tight ends and they,
03:38I think they expect them to be a big part of this offense.
03:41So two,
03:42four,
03:42eight,
03:43five,
03:43three,
03:43nine,
03:4397,
03:4497.
03:45Let's go to Mike on a cell.
03:47You're on 97.
03:47One.
03:47Hello,
03:48Mike.
03:49Hey,
03:49good afternoon.
03:50So I think the player to look out for,
03:52I think it's going to make a big impact is a daily for the Wolverines.
03:57Great edge rusher.
03:58I think he's going to be eventually at that Hutchison level watching him play.
04:05I just think he's going to be really good.
04:07The player you're talking about for people who don't know is John Henry daily.
04:10It was a transfer from Utah who last year had 11 and a half sacks through 10
04:16games before he snapped his Achilles.
04:18It'd be interesting to see if that slows him at all.
04:22Achilles injuries are tough to come back from.
04:24They're usually slow to come back.
04:25And I wouldn't,
04:26they,
04:26he's been cleared.
04:27Uh,
04:28I think they said last week,
04:29he's not on a pitch count at all.
04:32Um,
04:33but you know,
04:34it still takes time until you see them out on the field performing.
04:37So it might,
04:37it might take some time,
04:38uh,
04:3917 and a half tackles for loss as well.
04:41Yeah.
04:42That was,
04:43uh,
04:43that was one of the good transfers that he brought with him.
04:45But like you said,
04:46Achilles and these are injuries that that's an injury that takes a while.
04:51Like you may be ready to go to go ahead and train full board.
04:53That's fine.
04:54But it doesn't mean that that thing's ready to go itself.
04:57It's the level that you played at,
04:58but for him,
04:59hopefully it is because he's held a player.
05:01And,
05:01and yeah,
05:02everybody,
05:03everybody loves a great edge rusher,
05:05right?
05:05Yeah.
05:06Uh,
05:06all right.
05:06Here's some feedback we got via Twitter from Dennis Tariq Boney.
05:10Tariq Boney is a freshman edge rusher.
05:12He and Carter metals are two players that,
05:14uh,
05:15have been mentioned as freshmen that they expect to play this year.
05:19Uh,
05:19Patrick has a good one here.
05:20Travis Johnson.
05:22It's a freshman wide receiver.
05:24And I will almost guarantee he will see the field and make some plays.
05:28That's a Michigan.
05:29Yep.
05:30Perry says Bryce is going to kill.
05:31This year,
05:32no doubt.
05:32And Michigan state,
05:33the tight end Savoy,
05:34he is going to have a good year.
05:37Uh,
05:38is it Savoy or savory?
05:39Uh,
05:40Jaden,
05:40he wrote Savoy.
05:41Yeah.
05:41He's,
05:42uh,
05:43he's listed as the starters.
05:44Let's,
05:45see if,
05:45see if he can hold that up.
05:48Yep.
05:48But Parachek is the other guy at tight end.
05:50It does really well.
05:51He's healthy.
05:54Parachek.
05:55I believe he's okay.
05:56Uh,
05:57Steve writes in,
05:57I don't know if he's a sleeper,
05:58but Bracey,
05:59the transfer from Memphis could be a first round pick.
06:01I,
06:02again,
06:03uh,
06:03another player that is,
06:05has created a lot of buzz,
06:06a lot of buzz,
06:07uh,
06:08Bracey,
06:08a transfer.
06:09Yes.
06:10From Memphis.
06:10Jacob writes in for being real.
06:12There's not a lot of talent on the MSU roster,
06:14but if I had to pick someone,
06:15I'd say Charles Taplin wide receiver.
06:18Yep.
06:19What do you know about him?
06:21Have you heard anything?
06:22Uh,
06:22Richard freshman.
06:23Um,
06:24I,
06:25I want to see,
06:26he's,
06:26he's undersized.
06:27He's on six feet.
06:28Um,
06:29he's from Texas,
06:30uh,
06:31caught one pass last year,
06:32but you know,
06:33Michigan state's wide receiver room feels like it's open competition.
06:36Go ahead and do what you can.
06:38Although they got Bullard back for his fourth year,
06:41which is good.
06:42You guys got Fredro.
06:44That was his nickname.
06:46Fred more when he was at Michigan.
06:48Uh,
06:48he's now a Michigan state Fredro.
06:50All right.
06:50Yeah.
06:52Uh,
06:53from dogs stole Greg,
06:54Tommy car.
06:55There were a lot of drop passes last year,
06:57but in my opinion,
06:58Bryce's accuracy is still in question,
06:59especially on third and long.
07:01In addition,
07:02the scheme could cut Bryce in danger of getting dinged up.
07:05Well,
07:05there sounds like there's more of a commitment to run,
07:07uh,
07:08Bryce Underwood more Brandon Fowler,
07:10Nicolosi,
07:11who is a transfer from Colorado state was a little bit slow.
07:14And I think Tommy car was probably trending to be QB too,
07:18but the transfer coming in,
07:20father Nicolosi kid,
07:21a little slow in getting up to speed,
07:23but,
07:24uh,
07:24it sounded like when Jason Beck met with the media last week,
07:27they are comfortable with QB too.
07:30And it's a two horse race between Tommy car and the veteran Brandon
07:33father Nicolosi,
07:36uh,
07:37from Dr.
07:38Sigmund's if tweet says Buchanan and Heider are not out of nowhere.
07:43So I'll go with Nate Marshall,
07:44uh,
07:45JJ Buchanan,
07:46wide receiver transfer from Utah and save on Heider five star running back.
07:50They're getting a lot of pub.
07:51Nate Marshall is an edge rusher who early on didn't get a lot of mention,
07:57uh,
07:58as other guys are getting mentioned at the edge rusher spot.
08:00And then recently Jay Hill,
08:03the,
08:03the defensive coordinator,
08:04uh,
08:05gave him some love.
08:06So,
08:07uh,
08:07yep.
08:08Two,
08:08four,
08:08eight,
08:09five,
08:09three,
08:09nine,
08:0997,
08:1097.
08:10You mentioned the guy,
08:11we've had some people mentioned players that aren't completely out of the
08:14blue for the fan bases,
08:16but are probably out of the blue for like the big 10.
08:23And you mentioned a guy from Michigan state that you didn't want,
08:25we were kind of talking about is he out of the blue?
08:27He won't be for state fans,
08:29but he might be for the big 10.
08:30Yeah.
08:31And it's cam Edwards,
08:32the running back.
08:32I mean,
08:32this is a guy that they're really going to count on to carry the load for,
08:36for the team.
08:36And he's a transfer from UConn and he did really well at UConn.
08:42I mean,
08:43his first year there is 618 yards and next year was 830 yards.
08:47And then last year jumped up to 1240 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
08:52It's the guy who averaged nearly six yards of carry last year,
08:55uh,
08:56was five yards of carry the first year and five,
08:58seven,
08:58the second year.
08:58So he's trending in the right direction.
09:01Um,
09:02we'll,
09:02we'll see how he does.
09:03One of his offensive linemen is with him as well here at Michigan state and
09:06Michigan state's kind of rebuilt the offensive line with transfers.
09:09Uh,
09:10so they've got an opportunity to,
09:12to at least be able to run the football.
09:14And I hope they can't because they're going to need to,
09:16they're going to need to slow things down,
09:18be methodical about it.
09:19And,
09:20uh,
09:20if they have hopes of,
09:22you know,
09:23a bowl season or,
09:24you know,
09:25more than six wins anyway,
09:27two,
09:27four,
09:27eight,
09:28five,
09:28three,
09:28nine,
09:2897,
09:2997.
09:29You want to continue the conversation?
09:31We are talking about sleepers for Michigan and Michigan state.
09:34Who's a guy you like to burst onto the scene in 2026.
09:40It is Carson Anderson on 97.
09:42One.
