Michigan returns in 2025 off a perfect 15‐0 run and a consensus national championship, yet Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt isn’t banking solely on past glory. Instead, he highlights a blend of momentum, culture, coaching continuity, roster reinforcements, and a more manageable schedule as the underpinnings of a top-10 projection.
What exactly convinces Klatt that the Wolverines are poised for another leap?
Why Analyst Joel Klatt Is Betting on Michigan Again—and It’s Not Because of Their Quarterback
Klatt opens his argument by pointing to Michigan’s season‐ender surge.
“Michigan built as much momentum as any team in college football over the last month of the season,” he said, recalling wins over Northwestern, Ohio State, and Alabama to close 2024.
This finish and a top-10 recruiting haul led by five-star QB Bryce Underwood created “real, positive sentiment moving forward and into the offseason” in Klatt’s view.
On the other side of the ball, defensive stability remains a cornerstone. Despite losing stars like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Colston Loveland, Klatt stressed that the unit “was still excellent” against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
“This culture at Michigan remains, and it feels like Sherrone Moore has leaned into that even more,” he noted, adding that Wink Martindale’s scheme—now in its third straight year—will endure regardless of NFL interest.
Contrary to the notion that Underwood’s arrival alone drives optimism, Klatt emphasizes Michigan’s portal activity.
“They’ve been good in the portal on the defensive line,” he said, pointing to additions like Damon Payne (Alabama) and Tre Williams (Clemson).
He also highlighted the veteran presence of QB Mikey Keene, who “could bridge to Bryce Underwood” through 34 career starts.
Offensively, Klatt believes improvement is all but guaranteed after a bottom-five showing in 2024.
With former North Carolina OC Chip Lindsey installed to inject explosivity alongside Jordan Marshall and incoming transfer Justice Haynes, Klatt quipped, “The offense can’t be worse, folks,” noting that fixing even a fraction of last year’s inefficiencies could convert close losses into wins.
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Finally, Klatt underscores a more forgiving 2025 schedule. Michigan avoids Pac ‐12 powers Oregon and Big Ten titan Penn State, instead hosting Ohio State in Ann Arbor and weathering only one daunting nonconference trip—to Oklahoma.
“They avoid Oregon and Penn State next year, and they get Ohio State in Ann Arbor,” Klatt said, calling the slate “more manageable than the gauntlet” of the previous year.
Klatt’s top-10 projection for Michigan in 2025 is rooted in more than a heralded quarterback recruit. By marrying end‐of‐season momentum, a proven defensive culture, smart portal acquisitions, schematic upgrades on offense, and a lighter schedule, he paints a holistic portrait of a program ready to sustain national contention.
If all these elements align, the Wolverines may indeed vindicate Klatt’s bullish bet next fall.
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