2026 Big Ten position rankings (QB): Where does U-M fit in with Bryce Underwood?

We’re now less than four weeks away from actual Michigan football games being played. After an offseason full of headlines that had next to nothing to do with the on-field product (both from a Michigan perspective and in terms of the Big Ten and college football product as a whole), I’m thrilled to get to write about some actual X’s and O’s in this space. This newsletter will kick off an 8-part series that will play out over the next three weeks and will break down all of the major position groups in the Big Ten — and end in my first installment of what will become my weekly Big Ten power rankings.

Each of the upcoming eight preview newsletters will have the same format (which is different than what I’ve used in years past) — a 1 through 18 ranking of a specific Big Ten position group, with breakouts on the top 5 teams. Then my choice for each of the following:

• The best overall player at that position

• The freshman to watch at that position

• The player at that position that’s currently flying under the radar and deserves more attention

• The incoming transfer to watch at that position

To wrap things up, I’ll attempt to hold myself accountable and revisit my rankings from a year ago to point out any notable big hits or misses.

So without any further wait, installment No. 1 of 8 of this series can be found below the paywall jump — a look at the QB position. Let’s dig in. 👇