Michigan's offensive line gave Bryce Underwood little room to breathe last fall. The new coaching staff says that's about to change.

Coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck revealed at Big Ten Football Media Days that the No. 16 Wolverines will deploy "the rhino," a six-offensive-lineman package, as a core element of their 2026 offense. Beck's units at Utah ran six-lineman formations at the highest rate in the country, and he's bringing the scheme to Ann Arbor ahead of the Saturday, Sept. 5 home opener at Michigan Stadium.

Whittingham said July 31 at the Hilton Chicago that Underwood "was running for his life quite often" behind last year's injury-ridden line, and that the problem likely held back the sophomore's development. He pointed to offensive line coach Jim Harding as the fix.

Harding followed Whittingham from Utah. His résumé includes developing Garrett Bolles and 2025 Outland Trophy winner Spencer Fano.

Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025, was sacked 1.62 times per game as a true freshman. He completed 60.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions while Michigan went 9-4. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore said the new staff has been demanding and that he's ready to showcase the offseason work.

Whittingham replaced nine of predecessor Sherrone Moore's 11 assistants after taking over in December 2025, retaining only running backs coach Tony Alford and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs. He also said quantitative metrics revealed deficiencies in Michigan's 2025 strength and conditioning program, suggesting the returning linemen should be better conditioned before schematic changes even take effect.

Junior linemen Andrew Sprague and Jake Guarnera are penciled in as day-one starters, with eight returning contributors and newly healthy sophomore tackle Andrew Babalola competing for the remaining spots. Depth matters. The only cure for the injury bug that plagued the 2025 line is bodies.

Beck, who spoke July 30, said the rhino traces back more than a decade to his time at Virginia. Unlike a typical short-yardage jumbo set, Beck plans to use the extra lineman in both the run and pass game beyond short-yardage situations.

"When I set up in the booth, the defensive guys will be up there and they're watching the other team line up and they'll call out the plays," Beck told The Michigan Daily. "I never want to be that guy on offense, that when they're watching the other team line up they can call out the play."

The Wolverines finished fifth in the Big Ten preseason media poll and face a schedule that includes Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana and Oklahoma. Whittingham, who compiled a 177-88 record across 21 seasons at Utah, said he plans to give Underwood more freedom in the run game, modeling the approach on how Beck used quarterback Devon Dampier at Utah in 2025.

Michigan opens the season Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 at Michigan Stadium.