Preseason Honors: Babalola, Hiter, Moa Named to Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List
5/26/2026 3:08:00 PM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Babalola, running back Savion Hiter and wide receiver Salesi Moa were named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List on Wednesday (Aug. 26). The award is presented each year to the most outstanding freshman player in college football.
Michigan's preseason award honorees (as of Aug. 26):
Andrew Babalola, Sophomore, Offensive Line
• Aug. 26: Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List
• True sophomore preparing for his collegiate debut this fall after suffering an injury in 2025 fall camp
• Two-way contributor in high school who started two seasons on the offensive line
• 2025 Navy All-American Bowl Participant
• The highest recruit in the state of Kansas since 2009
• Began playing football in 2023
Savion Hiter, Freshman, Running Back
• Aug. 26: Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List
• True freshman preparing for his collegiate debut this fall
• Multi-faceted contributor who played at running back, defensive back and returned kicks in high school
• Posted 1,445 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior and 1,698 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior
• 2025 Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year awards for the state of Virginia
• 2025 Under Armour All-American
Salesi Moa, Freshman, Wide Receiver
• Aug. 26: Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List
• True freshman preparing for his collegiate debut this fall
• Two-way contributor in high school who played wide receiver and safety
• Credited with 63 catches for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior, along with three interceptions on defense
• 2026 Polynesian Bowl participant
• Brother, Aisea, plays linebacker for the Wolverines
Andrew Marsh, Sophomore, Wide Receiver
• Aug. 25: Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
• Aug. 10: Paul Hornung Award Watch List
• 13 career games played at wide receiver with eight starts
• Also experienced as a kick and punt returner, with 20 combined attempts in 2025
• Caught 45 passes for 651 yards and four touchdowns in his first year as a Wolverine, including 12 for 189 at Northwestern, both freshman wide receiver records at Michigan
• 2025 On3 College Football Freshman All-American
• All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2025
• Voted as the team's 2025 Offensive Skill Player of the Year
John Henry Daley, Senior, Defensive End
• Aug. 21: Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
• Aug. 20: Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
• Aug. 18: AP Preseason All-America second team
• Aug. 3: Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
• June 30: Walter Camp Preseason All-America second team
• May 20: Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
• 21 career games played (three at BYU, 18 at Utah) with 11 starts at defensive end, all as a Ute
• Credited with 55 tackles in his career, with two forced fumbles and one pass breakup
• Made 18.5 tackles for loss, including 12.5 sacks, across 18 games at Utah
• Started all 11 contests in which he appeared in 2025
• 2025 All-American (first team, Walter Camp Football Foundation; second team, AFCA and AP)
• Last fall, became the first Utah player to create strip sacks in consecutive games since 2017
Jyaire Hill, Senior, Defensive Back
• Aug. 21: Chuck Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
• Aug. 12: Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List
• 29 career games played at cornerback with 22 starts
• Credited with 79 career tackles with 10.0 for loss, including 2.0 sacks
• 15 career pass breakups, including two interceptions
• Broke up at least one pass in 13 of 25 games played across 2024 and 2025
• All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2025
• Voted as the team's 2025 Defensive Skill Player of the Year
Rod Moore, Graduate Student, Defensive Back
• Aug. 20: Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
• 40 career games played at safety, with 29 starts
• 2024 and 2025 team captain; Spring 2026 captain
• Credited with 147 career tackles, including 2.5 for loss with half a sack
• 14 career pass breakups with seven interceptions, including game-sealing pick against Ohio State in 2023
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection in 2022 (honorable mention) and 2023 (third team)
• Michigan's 2021 Special Teams Rookie of the Year and co-Defensive Rookie of the Year
Bryce Underwood, Sophomore, Quarterback
• Aug. 17: Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
• Aug. 3: Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
• Spring 2026 Captain
• 13 career starts made at quarterback, all in 2025
• Credited with 2,428 pass yards and 11 passing touchdowns as a freshman in 2025 on 202-of-335 passing (60.3 percent)
• Also rushed for 392 yards and six touchdowns on 88 carries (4.5 yards per carry)
• The fourth-ever true freshman quarterback to start for the Maize and Blue (Rick Leach, 1975; Chad Henne, 2004; Tate Forcier, 2009)
• Posted 251 passing yards in his first career game, the most ever for a freshman in a debut start
• Recorded 200-plus passing yards in seven games, with 230-plus in five games
Troy Bowles, Senior, Linebacker
• Aug. 14: Butkus Award Watch List
• 20 career games played, including 19 at linebacker (seven at Georgia, 13 at Michigan); a regular special teams contributor during his career
• Credited with 27 tackles with 2.0 for loss, including one sack, with one forced fumble and one pass breakup in his first year as a Wolverine in 2025
• Set U-M bests of six tackles (against Purdue), two tackles for loss and one sack (against New Mexico). Also blocked a punt (against Wisconsin) and forced a fumble (against Central Michigan)
• Recorded five tackles at Georgia, where he helped the team reach the 2024 College Football Playoff
Jordan Marshall, Junior, Running Back
• Aug. 11: Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
• Aug. 3: Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
• Spring 2026 Captain
• 16 career games played at running back with five starts
• Rushed 181 times for 1,052 yards with 10 touchdowns in his career with nine receptions for 92 yards
• Averaged 124.2 rushing yards per game in his five career starts (four in 2025)
• Accounted for seven touchdowns across his final five appearances in 2025
• All-Big Ten (second team) in 2025
• Named the Athletic Department's Male Newcomer of the Year (2024); voted the team's 2025 co-Offensive Player of the Year
Trey Butkowski, Sophomore, Kicker
• Aug. 7: Lou Groza Award Watch List
• 11 career games played at Pitt
• Began career as a walk-on with the Panthers
• Converted 19-of-22 field-goal tries in 2025 (86.4 percent), including 16 straight
• Posted a season-long of 47 yards against Boston College; scored 17 points against NC State
• 2025 Lou Groza Award semifinalist
Jake Guarnera, Junior, Offensive Line
• Aug. 7 Rimington Trophy Watch List
• 18 career games played, including 12 on offense, with 10 starts at right guard
• All-Big Ten (honorable mention) in 2025
• Started 10 games last fall, a steady special teams contributor throughout his career
• Recipient of the team's 2025 Dierdorf-Hutchinson Award as the top offensive lineman
• College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree in 2025
Andrew Sprague, Junior, Offensive Line
• Aug. 4: Outland Trophy Watch List
• June 30: Walter Camp Preseason All-America second team
• 16 career games played along the offensive line, with 13 starts at right tackle
• All-Big Ten (honorable mention) in 2025
• Started 12 games last fall after making his first career start against Alabama in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl
• Helped block for 12 separate 100-yard rushing performances by Wolverines in 2025
• Those 12 performances came from four different players, the most in a U-M season since 1998.
Smith Snowden, Senior, Defensive Back
• May 20: Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
• 36 career games played at Utah as a defensive back, with 24 starts; also contributed on offense
• Credited with 92 career tackles, including 6.0 for loss, with one forced fumble
• 25 career pass breakups, including four interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown
• A three-phase player who contributed on offense and on special teams during his career
• Scored three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) on eight carries and 13 receptions during his career
• Voted by his teammates as the 2025 recipient of the 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship
