Football

THE BLUE PRINT: A podcast on the Michigan Wolverines

THE BLUE PRINT is your new home for the best conversation around the Michigan Wolverines! Hosted by former Michigan captains Jake Butt and Devin Gardner, we’ll dive into the past, present, and future of one of the top athletic programs in the country.
With Jake’s insight as a Big Ten Network Analyst and Devin’s perspective from Fox Sports, you’ll hear from two guys plugged into today’s game as well as Ann Arbor legends with great stories to tell from their playing days.
From training camp through the Big Ten and beyond THE BLUE PRINT will cover all things football as well as other key events on the UM calendar from March Madness, the Frozen Four and beyond!
New episodes will be released weekly. Watch on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow us @TheBluePrintUM on Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook

Latest Episodes:

Warde Manuel Reaction & Preseason Position Grades for Michigan’s Offense | The Blue Print Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner react to the news that Warde Manuel will be stepping down as University of Michigan Athletic Director come the end of the year. The guys share their thoughts on the decision, the process by how it was reached and where the athletic department goes from here.

Then, we head back onto the field and give you our preseason position grades for the Wolverines offense. How high is Andrew Marsh’s ceiling? Could the running back duo of Marshall and Hiter be the best in the country? And does anything else even matter if Bryce Underwood doesn’t show significant improvement? Devin and Jake weigh in on all that and more on this week’s edition of the Blue Print!

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Is Bryce Underwood Talking Too Much? PLUS: Where Michigan Ranks in EA’s Toughest Stadium List Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner have some thoughts on Bryce Underwood’s claim that he’s “the best player ever to come out of Michigan.” Are we sure it’s a good idea for him to be saying things like this? Is he putting an even greater target on himself coming into the season? And which NBA player does Devin see as the guy Bryce should try to emulate when it comes to his public persona? The guys weigh in on all of it!

Then: EA Sports has released its list of the 20 toughest stadiums to play at in all of college football. So, how’re we feeling about Michigan coming in at #12? Too low? Too high? Just right? The guys also talk about the inherent SEC bias in lists like this and they give you some of their most underrated stadium experiences from their time as players.

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Ranking the Top 5 Big Ten Defenses + Michigan’s Summer Grind Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner rank the top five defenses in the Big Ten heading into the season. Where does Michigan stack up against the conference’s best? And which teams could challenge the Wolverines on the defensive side of the ball?

Plus, Jake and Devin take you inside the offseason grind for Michigan football, breaking down what summer really looks like for Wolverines players. From intense workouts and conditioning to film study and preparation, they share what it takes to stay sharp when the games are still months away.

Tune in for offseason insight, Big Ten analysis, and plenty of Michigan football talk on The Blue Print, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Selecting Our Top 5 Big 10 Offenses for 2026; Does Michigan Make the Cut? Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are giving you their top 5 Big 10 offenses for the upcoming 2026 season. Does Michigan have enough to make cut? Or are their questions at quarterback a little too prominent to beat out some of the elite competition?

Plus, we open up the Michigan mailbag to answer your questions on other programs that may have “Brady Hoke-esque” locker room rules, the possibility of Bryce’s backups seeing some time and the incredible challenges that this season’s schedule presents.

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Eric Weddle Said WHAT About Bryce Underwood?? Devin & Jake’s 3-Step Plan to Improve QB1 Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former 2x All-Pro Safety Eric Weddle had some harsh criticism of Michigan QB Bryce Underwood after watching him at practice and our own Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are weighing in on those comments. The guys discuss what could have driven Weddle to speak out in the way that he did and if his perspective actually does have some validity.

Then, in an effort to help silence the critics, Devin and Jake each lay out the 3 things they’d moist like to see Bryce improve upon to change the narrative around the trajectory of his career!

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It’s a Michigan Mailbag! We’re Talking Hate for Michigan State, Harbaugh’s Lies & Devin’s Scariest Moment May 28, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former Michigan stars Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are opening up the mailbag and answering your questions on all things Michigan football! We’ll discuss whether or not the Wolverines and Buckeyes should consider changing their timing of their annual game. We’ll discuss the difference between our rivalry with Ohio State and Michigan State. And we’ll reminisce about the time Jim Harbaugh tried to convince us that high-altitude fatigue wasn’t real.

Plus, the guys give their very early game-by-game predictions for Michigan’s season and we present you with more tales from the Hoke era.

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Wolverines Landing BIG Recruits, Big 10 Blowing Past the SEC & High Character vs Top Talent May 21, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, former Michigan stars Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are discussing Kyle Whittingham’s ability to attract top notch talent. Are we currently experiencing the early days of a great era in Ann Arbor? And when evaluating potential recruits, how do you weigh ability vs character? Jake and Dev share their thoughts.

Then, can a program as big as Michigan be considered a Big 10 sleeper team? Much to Devin’s dismay, probably not. We’ll explain why the cat might be out of the bag.

And finally, we’re talking playoff expansion and the possibility of the 12-team format doubling in size. How do we feel about the potential change and what does it say about the Big 10’s power struggle with the SEC? All that and more on this week’s edition of The Blue Print!

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Denard Robinson Talking Bryce Underwood, Michigan Expectations & Ann Arbor Memories! May 11, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner is joined by his former teammate AND roommate, Denard Robinson! The guys reflect on some of their old stories including the time they showed up late to a Brady Hoke workout, the time Denard had to prove who he was to a 7-year-old kid and the time they battled one-on-one to try and determine who the better athlete was.

Plus: Denard shares his thoughts on Bryce Underwood. Does this guy have it in him to be great? And what steps does he need to take to unlock that greatness? We’ll also weigh in on Michigan’s expectation in year-1 under Whittingham, the role Tommy Carr could play in making this team great and the importance of a quarterback who can run.

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Michigan Football Coach Kyle Whittingham Joins, Talks Bryce Underwood, Spring Ball, and NIL Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner are giving you some of their final thoughts on Michigan’s Spring Game and then, we’ve got the new head coach of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham on the show!

Kyle talks about how he ended up in Ann Arbor, what it was like getting that initial phone call, and why Michigan has always been a program he’s respected.He also shares his thoughts on the importance of remaining highly competitive in the NIL space as well as some of the big changes that could be headed the sport’s way.

Then, we get into quarterback Bryce Underwood and his ongoing development. Kyle talks about the difficult situation that Bryce was thrown into, the areas where he needs to improve as well as the characteristics that could make him great.

All that PLUS: Michigan’s elite running back duo, Coach’s extensive background in football, the importance of playing the guys that give you the best chance to win and much much more!Get to know the new face of Michigan football, Kyle Whittingham, right here on the BLUE PRINT!

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Michigan Spring Game, Big Day for Tommy Carr But Not as Much For Bryce Underwood Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

The Spring Game isn’t everything… but it’s something.

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Jake Butt and Devin Gardner break down what they saw over the weekend in Michigan’s annual Spring Football Game, primarily at the quarterback position.

The guys talk about the uplifting positives they saw from Tommy Carr but perhaps more concerningly, they discuss the discouraging negatives they saw from Bryce Underwood. We’ll examine the issues that appear to be holding the Wolverines QB1 back and let you know how he can go about fixing them. We’ll also tell you if it’s truly time to panic or if this is just part of the learning curve. And we’ll identify the 5-star freshman that jumped off the screen!

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