Tag: Manuel Beigel

Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12

A win is a win. This is a common refrain around here, but this one still goes in the record books as a victory. As Herm Edwards famously said, “You play to win the game.”

I have lots of issues with the offense. This was not a well organized or executed game plan, and I’ll say that from top to bottom. Kyle Whittingham, Jason Beck, Bryce Underwood, the offensive line, etc., they’re all accountable. I’ve seen a lot of heat thrown in Underwood’s direction. He’s not a difference maker right now, true, but other people – who are more experienced – need to be better. So he’s not even my #1 problem.

Jason Beck. I think this game might have been a wake-up call for Beck. This is not to say that I don’t think he’s up for the challenge, but Beck got a live look at what can happen in Michigan Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, when a solid MAC team takes its best shot at a big-time program. I think Beck (and some of the players) thought they would walk into the stadium, steamroll a lesser opponent, and then try to walk into the Oklahoma game after having a warmup. That’s not what happened. There are two things I’m most surprised about:

1. Beck said he had a specific number of touches he wanted for his skill guys. Jordan Marshall should get more than 11 carries, and Andrew Marsh should get more than 2 catches. You can’t go a whole game and only find a way to get Marsh the ball twice. It’s not like he’s an outside X receiver who can be taken away if you double him. He’s capable of catching screens, deep balls, in-breaking routes, getting an occasional reverse/end around, etc.
2. The passing concepts were vanilla and/or poorly executed. Now maybe the vanilla aspect has to do with the quarterback, but guys often weren’t getting open for Underwood. People get mad at the quarterback when he sits back there and doesn’t throw the ball, but there has to be a place for him to go more consistently. (Yes, Underwood missed some open players/plays at times, which I’ll address below.)

Hit the jump for more.

2026 Season Countdown: #66-70

#66. Kainoa Winston – S – Washington (DC) Gonzaga: Winston played in one game in 2025 and enters his second year as a 5’11”, 204 lb. safety. He was a hyped recruit who I thought would get a little more playing time in 2025, but for whatever reason, that didn’t happen. Winston now has a chance to use his speed and hitting ability with the new coaching staff and compete with a variety of safety options. I will be interested to see if defensive coordinator Jay Hill sees him more as a nickel or a safety, but Michigan has several safety/nickel types who will likely be moving on after this year (Chris Bracy, Rod Moore, Smith Snowden, etc.) and the coaches will probably start to prepare some of these young guys for more significant roles in 2027.

#67. Alister Vallejo – DT – Liberty Hill (TX) Liberty Hill: Vallejo is a 6’3″, 310 lb. freshman whom a lot of people have compared to Mason Graham. Graham was a first year contributor back in 2022, but he played against better competition in high school. Vallejo (4-star, #23 DL, #212 overall) has some similar skills but may need a little more time to percolate. I expect him to work his way into the rotation this season, and it’s nice to see that he’s a playable size. Some defensive tackle prospects come in at around 270 pounds or so and then they just can’t even see the field for a while. By the end of the season, I think Vallejo will be a pretty steady contributor as a backup.

#68. Jeremiah Lowe – CB – Lexington (KY) Frederick Douglass: Lowe is a 5’11”, 180 lb. player entering his third season in a Michigan uniform. He has only played two games in his career, but he made 2 interceptions in the 2025 spring game and there’s an opportunity in a revamped secondary. He could play on special teams and may find a backup role on defense. Michigan has some good players returning and brought in Smith Snowden from Utah, so there’s some healthy competition for playing time in the secondary.

#69. Jamarion Vincent – CB – Waco (TX) Connally: Vincent is a 6’2″, 170 lb. corner who was kind of a quiet late addition to Michigan’s class. After flipping from Baylor to Michigan in late November 2025, he then enrolled early and earned some buzz during spring ball. Obviously, there were other headlines this off-season for Michigan, but normally I feel like Michigan stealing the #150 recruit late in the cycle would generate a little more excitement. His lack of bulk may hold him back in 2026, but some situational seasoning may take place to see if he can solidify a role for 2027.

#70. Manuel Beigel – OG – (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall: Beigel is a 6’5″, 312 lb. player entering his third year. He spent his first two seasons playing defensive line, but the new coaching staff moved him to offensive line this off-season. If offensive line coach Jim Harding sees something in him, then that’s probably a good sign that the position switch is a good idea for his development. Beigel played in seven games last season and recovered a fumble on defense. It’s not clear how much of a factor he’ll be in 2026 and I would guess it will be at least 2027 before we see anything significant from him on offense, but the 2025 coaching staff started to get his feet wet. It will be interesting to see if the transplanted Utah staff also tries to keep him involved.

2025 Season Countdown: #91-95

95. DT Manuel Beigel (RS Fr.): Beigel is a 6’5″, 300 lb. German native who spent one season playing football in America as a senior in the fall of 2023 and then took a redshirt in 2024 after playing in just one game. We haven’t heard much about him since he arrived at Michigan, but scouts raved about his athleticism when he was a recruit. If we’re judging from other international prospects like Luiji Vilain (Canada), Julius Welschof (Germany), and Aymeric Koumba (France), it will take some time before Beigel is ready to contribute. With the depth on Michigan’s defensive line, I don’t expect Beigel to play much of a role in 2025. Last year’s rank: #128.

94. RB Donovan Johnson (Fr.): Johnson (3-star, #39 RB, #477 overall) has had some injury issues in the past, which deflated his recruitment. He ran just 48 times for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven games as a senior after missing his junior season due to injury. Now up to a listed 6’0″, 213 lbs. on MGoBlue.com, he’s going to be swimming upstream against a pretty deep backfield. Aside from surefire contributors Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, the Wolverines brought in C.J. Hester from UMass and John Volker from Princeton. It always seems like a freshman sneaks in for a pretty sizable backup role, but that will be a tall task in 2025.

93. OT Daniel Taraboi (RS Jr.): The 6’7″, 328 lb. mammoth former walk-on played in one game last year, making an appearance on special teams against Northwestern. That’s probably his best opportunity for playing time, where being a big body can help on a field goal protection unit without being super mobile. Last year’s rank: #101.

92. DE Devon Baxter (RS Fr.): Baxter is listed at 6’6″ and 240 pounds on the roster, which is still rather lean for an edge rusher. He has probably added some weight to that frame this off-season, but he has not been mentioned much in the discussion for playing time. The top four edges are expected to be Derrick Moore, T.J. Guy, Cam Brandt, and Dominic Nichols. I really like his athletic potential, but he’s probably at least a year away from significant playing time. Last year’s rank: #109.

91. S Elijah Dotson (Fr.): Dotson (4-star, #11 S, #131 overall) was a late flip from Pitt to Michigan, having committed to the Wolverines toward the end of November. He was followed shortly by #1 overall player Bryce Underwood, also from Belleville High. Dotson could potentially play wide receiver, where he also starred in high school, but he’s starting out at safety in college. He seems to have flown under the radar a little bit, especially for a player who ranked #131 overall in the 247 Composite. That being said, Michigan has a pretty deep defensive backfield, so Dotson will probably have to bide his time on the sideline this fall.

2024 Season Countdown: #127 Manuel Beigel

Name: Manuel Beigel
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 280 lbs.
High school: Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Beigel was a senior in high school. He made 10 tackles and 4 sacks.
TTB Rating: 79

Beigel is a transplant from Germany who is a blank slate. Jim Harbaugh tried to go heavy on international prospects over the past several years, recruiting Beigel, fellow German Julius Welschof, Frenchman Aymeric Koumba, Canadian Luiji Vilain, Canadian Benjamin St-Juste, and several other foreign players who did not end up signing with the Wolverines.

I’m not sure what to think of Beigel so far because his film is so limited, but athletically, he looks to be top-notch when it comes to movement for his size. A soccer player when he was younger, he maintains foot quickness and change-of-direction skills rarely seen in players his size. The real questions are about his technique and strength, both of which seem to have a way to go. Already at 6’5″ and 280 pounds, he is likely to end up as a 3-tech defensive tackle, but he looks like a guy who might get pushed around and washed out of the play in the Big Ten. My guess is that he redshirts this season while learning some nuances of big-time college football.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: June 9-11, 2023

2024

Manuel Beigel – DT – Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall: Beigel is an international prospect from Germany who has been committed to Michigan since July of 2022. He has since picked up offers from some other big-time programs like Georgia, Penn State, and Texas A&M, among others. This is his official visit.

Boo Carter – ATH – Cleveland (TN) Bradley Central: Carter is a 5’10”, 184-pounder with offers from Michigan, Tennessee, and a bunch of others . . . but it seems to be a two-horse race between the Wolverines and the Volunteers. He’s a 4-star, the #20 athlete, and #240 overall. This is his official visit.

Ondre Evans – CB – Nasvhille (TN) CPA: Evans is a 6’0″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and others. He’s a 4-star, the #30 cornerback, and #340 overall. This is his official visit.

Hit the jump for more.