QB
B-Top-3 of 79.0; no top-10 QB on the roster. The Year 1 starter is a placeholder.
**Dynasty-start roster (CFB 26)**DC Rating 8.4 / 10
Michigan
One-year defensive run with a complete Year 2 rebuild ahead.
The Dynasty Verdict
Michigan owns the most extreme senior cliff in CFB 26's elite tier. Eight of the top 10 OVRs are seniors. Rod Moore at free safety (92, awareness 96), Derrick Moore at right edge (91, play recognition 97), Giovanni El-Hadi at left guard (91), and Rayshaun Benny at defensive tackle (91) form the front-seven core; Hausmann at WILL, Barham at MIKE, Zvada at kicker, and Guy at LEDG round out the senior anchors. The two non-seniors in the top 10 are Jyaire Hill at corner (89, Junior) and Justice Haynes at HB (87, Junior). Layer in C- coach stability under second-year head coach Sherrone Moore, no top-10 quarterback on the roster, and a tight end grade of C, and the data tells a single story: this is a one-year program.
What makes Michigan different from the other elite-tier programs is the structural similarity to Penn State, of all places. Both teams enter CFB 26 with an 8-of-10 senior cliff in the Big Ten. Same shape, opposite coaching infrastructure. Penn State has James Franklin's A coach stability (his twelfth season at Happy Valley) and Drew Allar at QB (Senior, 92 OVR) anchoring the top 10. Michigan has Sherrone Moore's C- coach stability, the lowest stability mark among 5-prestige programs, and no QB in the top 10. Penn State's senior cliff is a development project run by an established staff. Michigan's is a senior cliff plus a coaching question plus a QB hole in the same cycle.
The honest tension is that the rating starts at 8.4 because the A-graded defensive line and the Tier-5 Michigan home pipeline anchor a real Year 1 ceiling, but every measure of forward stability is broken. The dynasty player who picks Michigan and treats Year 1 as anything other than a "use them while you have them" save is reading the data wrong. Eight senior anchors graduate together. The Year 1 recruiting class is the entire Year 2 starting offense and most of the front seven. Hill at corner is your one multi-year defensive anchor. The work is signing a top-3 recruiting class while winning Year 1 games on the senior front seven's back.
Head Coach
Sherrone Moore
ArchitectSherrone Moore is an Architect archetype with A- coach prestige and C- coach stability — the lowest stability mark among 5-prestige programs in CFB 26. Architect means the staff designs systems that maximize current personnel rather than relying on broad development cycles. Combined with Multiple Offense and 3-4 Multiple, the data tells the dynasty player Michigan's institutional advantage is the schematic flexibility to mask the QB hole and lean on the senior front seven for one year. The C- stability is the structural backdrop. It signals a program in transition, where the Year 2 staff may not be the Year 1 staff, and the dynasty math hinges on whether Moore consolidates the system fast enough to survive the senior cliff.
Team at a Glance
| Conference | Big Ten |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Sherrone Moore · Architect |
| Team Prestige | 5 stars |
| Team Overall (in-game) | 89 |
| Top Position Group | Defensive Line · A · top-3 avg 89.0 |
| Weakest Position Group | Tight End · C · top-3 avg 73.0 |
| Stadium Atmosphere | A |
| Brand Exposure | A |
| Coach Prestige | A- |
| Coach Stability | C- |
| Top-10 Senior Departures After Year 1 | 8 of 10 |
Top 10 Players
By overall rating at dynasty start
| # | Player | Pos | Yr | OVR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Rod Moore | FS | Sr | 92 | Awareness 96 |
| 02 | Derrick Moore | REDG | Sr | 91 | Play Recognition 97 |
| 03 | Giovanni El-Hadi | LG | Sr | 91 | Strength 95 |
| 04 | Rayshaun Benny | DT | Sr | 91 | Toughness 96 |
| 05 | Jyaire Hill | CB | Jr | 89 | Acceleration 97 |
| 06 | Ernest Hausmann | WILL | Sr | 87 | Toughness 95 |
| 07 | Jaishawn Barham | MIKE | Sr | 87 | Play Recognition 94 |
| 08 | Justice Haynes | HB | Jr | 87 | Acceleration 94 |
| 09 | Dominic Zvada | K | Sr | 86 | Kick Power 97 |
| 10 | TJ Guy | LEDG | Sr | 85 | Toughness 92 |
Position Group Grades
RB
B+Haynes at 87 (acceleration 94, junior) anchors. Top-3 of 83.7 across 8 players.
WR
B-No top-10 WR. Top-3 of 78.3 — a Year 1 recruiting target.
TE
CTop-3 of 73.0, the lowest grade on the team and a structural Year 1 recruiting need.
OL
B+El-Hadi at LG (91) anchors. 15 players across the five positions. Top-3 of 85.7.
DL
ADerrick Moore at REDG (91), Benny at DT (91), Guy at LEDG (85). Top-3 of 89.0 across 16 players, the strongest unit on the roster.
LB
B+Hausmann at WILL (87) and Barham at MIKE (87). Top-3 of 84.7.
DB
A-Rod Moore at FS (92) and Hill at CB (89). Top-3 of 87.7 across 14 players.
ST
C+Zvada at K (kick power 97). Top-3 of 75.3.
Recommended Playbooks
Offense
Multiple Offense (Michigan Default)
Sherrone Moore runs Multiple Offense, blending pro-style run concepts with shotgun spread looks based on personnel. The roster supports the run-heavy half: El-Hadi at LG (91, strength 95) and a 15-player OL room let you run downhill behind Haynes (87, acceleration 94).
Why this fits
The OL grades B+ and the WR room grades B-. Multiple lets you lean on the run game while the launch QB room develops, and play-action shots target whatever WR breaks through from outside the top 10.
Defense
3-4 Multiple (Michigan Default)
The 3-4 Multiple maximizes the DL grade A unit. Derrick Moore at right edge with play recognition 97 and Benny at DT with toughness 96 anchor a three-down front; Hausmann at WILL and Barham at MIKE handle run fits behind them.
Why this fits
The DL is the strongest unit on the team. The 3-4 Multiple gives the four senior front-seven anchors the alignment flexibility to disguise blitzes and protect the secondary while Hill plays press at corner.
Recruiting Outlook
Pipeline regions
- MichiganTier 5
- IllinoisTier 4
- TidewaterTier 3
- Big AppleTier 3
- Southern CaliforniaTier 3
- Central FloridaTier 3
- Metro AtlantaTier 3
- New EnglandTier 3
- South FloridaTier 2
- OhioTier 2
Michigan's pipeline portfolio is one Tier-5 home territory plus one Tier-4 reach (Illinois) and six Tier-3 regions. That's narrower at the top than Ohio State's six Tier-4-or-better territories but broader at the Tier-3 level. The Year 1 priority isn't ranking-chasing; it's signing a top-3 class because every position on offense and most of the front seven needs to be replaced in Year 2.
Position priorities for Year 1 are dictated by the senior cliff. Quarterback is urgent: recruit a top-tier QB to redshirt or start as a true freshman in Year 2. Tight end is a structural need (grade C). Defensive line gets two recruits in the Derrick Moore mold to replace the senior front. Linebacker depth behind Hill at corner. Focus offers in the Tier-5 Michigan home territory and the Tier-4 Illinois reach where the bonus math compounds.
Avoid the deep South and Pacific Northwest beyond a single targeted player. The Tier-3 Southern California reach is fine for a specific recruit but not a region to budget visits across when seven Tier-3-or-worse regions split your bonus math thin.
Your Year-by-Year Path with Michigan
Year 1
The Senior Send-Off
You're inheriting a roster where eight of the top 10 OVRs are seniors. Don't experiment. Ride the senior front seven, lean on the run game with Haynes at HB and the OL anchored by El-Hadi at LG, and let the launch QB manage games. The CFP is realistic on the defensive line's back. While you're winning, sign the largest recruiting class your scholarship room can absorb. The Year 2 starting roster comes out of that class.
Goal
Big Ten contention, 10+ wins, top-3 recruiting class with QB at the top.
Years 2-3
The Total Rebuild
Eight of the top 10 graduate after Year 1. The Year 1 recruiting class is the entire Year 2 starting offense and most of the front seven. Hill becomes the Year 2 senior at corner; Haynes becomes the senior at HB. Your Year 1 QB recruit is the starter. The dynasty math hinges on whether Moore's Architect archetype turns 80-OVR recruits into 86-OVR starters fast enough to keep Year 2 wins above 7.
Goal
Maintain bowl eligibility through the rebuild. Develop one or two top-10 OVRs from the Year 1 class.
Year 4+
The Stability Question
By Year 4, the dynasty is whatever you built in Years 1-2 and whether Moore is still the head coach. C- coach stability at launch means Year 4 staff continuity is not guaranteed. If Moore consolidates, the program can return to a 9-10 win baseline. If he's replaced, the rebuild restarts with another coaching transition.
Goal
Stable 9-win program with one CFP appearance per cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Michigan good for dynasty mode in CFB 26?
Yes for a one-year senior-led run, with caveats. Michigan has the most extreme senior cliff in CFB 26's elite tier (8 of top 10 are seniors), no QB in the top 10, and C- coach stability. The defensive line grades A and the Tier-5 Michigan home pipeline gives you recruiting access. Take Michigan if you want a Year 1 ceiling driven by senior defenders, followed by a real Year 2 rebuild.
What's Michigan's prestige in CFB 26?
Michigan enters CFB 26 with a 5-star prestige rating, top-tier nationally. The Tier-5 Michigan home pipeline plus a Tier-4 Illinois reach give the program structural recruiting access despite the C- coach stability question.
What playbook does Michigan use in CFB 26?
Sherrone Moore's Michigan runs a Multiple Offense and a 3-4 Multiple defense. The Multiple Offense blends pro-style run concepts with shotgun spread looks. The 3-4 Multiple maximizes the A-graded DL unit anchored by Derrick Moore at REDG and Benny at DT.
Who is Michigan's best player in College Football 26?
Rod Moore at 92 OVR, senior free safety, with awareness 96. Moore is the highest-rated player on the roster and the centerpiece of an A- DB unit. Derrick Moore at REDG (91, senior, play recognition 97) and Rayshaun Benny at DT (91, senior, toughness 96) round out the senior defensive top three.
Should I rebuild Michigan or take an easier team?
Michigan is a senior-cliff program, not a traditional rebuild. The Year 1 ceiling is high; the Year 2 floor is structurally low. Take Michigan if you want the senior-send-off arc with a real Year 2 inflection. If you want a ground-floor rebuild, look at our Best Teams to Rebuild guide for picks like Stanford or Kansas.