Dave Portnoy, a Michigan football fan, swears he’s “working on it” when it comes to the Wolverines’ troubles.

Dave Portnoy, the founder and CEO of Barstool Sports, is an avid Michigan football fan. You undoubtedly liked some of his articles when the Wolverines won the national championship last season.

However, this season has been very different for Michigan football. The latest example came on Saturday, when the Fighting Illini defeated Illinois 21-7.

The offense was terrible. Michigan football turned the ball over three times. Jack Tuttle, the Wolverines’ third starting quarterback this season, turned the ball over twice. He also failed to connect with Colston Loveland on a wide-open pass in the first quarter.

It could have gone for a touchdown. At the very least, it would have been a significant increase. It wasn’t a difficult throw either. Tuttle is simply not a quarterback capable of competing in the Big Ten.

It doesn’t feel like there is one on the roster, at least not one that is ready to play right now, but if Jadyn Davis doesn’t get on the field this season, I’m concerned about his future.

Portnoy, like most Michigan football observers, understands that the quarterback position is a major concern. It’s the No. 1 issue, and Portnoy has promised to spend up to $3 million in NIL money to sign a competent quarterback for next season.

Portnoy echoed this following the loss on Saturday, writing on X, “To all Michigan fans. “I am working on it.”

I believe it means looking for a quarterback for next season. There have been whispers that Michigan is trying to flip five-star Bryce Underwood in the 2025 class, but those are difficult to believe, especially given Underwood responded with a laughing emoji when the idea was recently broached on a podcast.

Regardless, Michigan will need money for a quarterback in the portal, as well as assistance on the offensive line, defensive line, EDGE, and wide out positions.

I’m not confident that Portnoy will be of much assistance. I hope the school allows him, but even a talented quarterback will not solve all of Michigan football’s problems.

Michigan lost to Illinois, but if you’re looking for a bright spot, there are some true rookies emerging. One of them ended up burning his redshirt on Saturday.

The Michigan Wolverines lost another game, this time against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday. The team is at 4-3 for the year.

Quarterback Jack Tuttle had 208 passing yards and found true freshman Hogan Hansen to be a trustworthy receiver. Hansen recorded four catches for 50 yards, setting two career highs.

This was Hansen’s fifth game, which means he has burned his redshirt status.

Here are the true freshmen who have competed this season. An asterisk (*) indicates that they had playing time versus Illinois:

• RB Jordan Marshall (1 game)
• OL Andrew Sprague (1 game)
• OL Jake Guarnera (3 games)*
• TE Hogan Hansen (5 games)*
• LB Cole Sullivan (6 games)*
• Edge Dominic Nichols (4 games)*
• DL Manuel Beigel (1 game)
• DB Mason Curtis (3 games)*
• DB Jo’ziah Edmond (3 games)*

This week, two other young players stepped out on the defensive side of the ball: Mason Curtis played safety and Jo’Ziah Edmond at cornerback. The Wolverines are struggling with several secondary ailments, including Will Johnson missing most of the game. Curtis helped on two tackles, and Edmond had his first solo tackle of the season.

Overall, Michigan’s secondary limited Illinois to 80 yards passing and allowed only 8.9 yards per completion. These young players are showing some potential early on, and in a position that has struggled with injuries, it will be beneficial to bring some experience into next year, when they will be required more.

Dominic Nichols and Cole Sullivan, both true freshman, saw playing time on special teams. With Derrick Moore’s return, the Wolverines replaced Nichols at the edge this week with TJ Guy and Cam Brandt. Similarly, Sullivan has played a few snaps at linebacker, but with Jimmy Rolder available versus Illinois, there was no need for the rookie player there.

The Wolverines return to the Big House next weekend for a rivalry matchup against the Michigan State Spartans. Last season, the Wolverines defeated Michigan State 49-0. This rivalry game has always been emotional for players and coaches; we’ll see whether Moore and Co. choose to include any inexperienced players in the lineup. Kickoff is planned for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.