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:

Indiana Completes the Greatest Story in Sports & George Whitfield Drops Knowledge on the QB Position Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt share their thoughts on Indiana’s 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football National Championship. How’d the Hoosiers manage to pull this off with such a low percentage of “Blue Chip” talent? And did we just witness the final chapter in the greatest sports story ever seen? Devin and Jake share their thoughts.

Then, one of the smartest quarterback minds in the game today, George Whitfield, joins the guys to share some of his insight and knowledge on the position. George talks about what he saw from Bryce Underwood’s freshman season as well as the importance of Kyle Whittingham bringing more support to the QB room. The guys also discuss the head coach-QB bond and the Big 10 passing the SEC now that NIL has leveled the playing field (wink wink).

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Harbaugh & Hoke Coaching Stories, Bryce Underwood Prioritizing the Process & Indiana’s Leveling Up Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt share their thoughts on Indiana’s incredible rise and why accusations of “cheating” might just be the biggest compliment that you could pay them. The guys also discuss the need for Bryce Underwood to take a page from Curt Cignetti’s book and begin emphasizing process over results.

Then, as the Wolverines welcome a new coaching staff to the program, Devin and Jake reflect on the coaching changes that occurred while they were members of the team. Devin explains the story behind Brady Hoke’s “phone box” while Jake reveals some of the behind-the-scenes changes that Jim Harbaugh instituted immediately upon arrival.

And finally, we’ll take a look at Demond Williams’ situation with the University of Washington. Were the Huskies right to welcome him back and can you really fault Demond for wanting a $2 million raise?? All that and more on the latest edition of the Blue Print!

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Bryce Underwood Areas of Improvement, Koy Detmer Jr. Background, Keep Michigan Talent in Michigan! Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt share their thoughts on Michigan’s 41-27 loss to Texas in the Citrus Bowl. While the country cooled on Arch Manning, he went to work and got better; unfortunately, the Wolverines wound up bearing the brunt of that.

Then, Devin and Jake dive into Bryce Underwood and break down the areas in which he needs to improve. Devin also introduces us to Michigan’s new QB Coach, Koy Detmer Jr., by laying out his background and explaining where Koy and Bryce need to get on the same page.

Finally, the transfer portal is open and some key Michigan names are in it. Jake emphasizes the importance of keeping those guys in Ann Arbor along with doing whatever it takes to make sure Andrew Marsh doesn’t add his name to that list.

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Michigan Makes a Splash: Kyle Whittingham Named New Head Coach Dec 27, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of The Blue Print, we react to the stunning news out of Ann Arbor as Michigan hires longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to lead the Wolverines. We break down why Michigan targeted Whittingham, what he brings to the program, and how his physical, disciplined, defense-first brand of football fits perfectly with Michigan’s identity and the demands of the Big Ten. The conversation also dives into what this hire signals about the future of recruiting, NIL, and Michigan’s place in the evolving college football landscape. Plus, we set expectations for Year 1 and beyond as Whittingham takes over in Ann Arbor and what success could look like for the Wolverines under his leadership.

Make sure to like, subscribe, and drop your thoughts in the comments—did Michigan make the right move?

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Deliberating Over Michigan’s Head Coaching Options & Bryce vs Arch in the Citrus Bowl Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt share their thoughts on Michigan’s ongoing search for their next head coach. From Biff to Brohm, from Dillingham to Whittingham, the guys break down all of the options and explain why the right man for the job is the guy currently under your own roof.

Plus, we’ll begin looking ahead to the Wolverines and Longhorns in this year’s Citrus Bowl. What should we expect to see from Bryce Underwood with Chip Lindsey no long calling plays? And in Bryce vs Arch, are we getting the college football version of the spiderman meme? We’ll explain on the latest edition of the Blue Print!

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Mack Brown Talks Bryce Underwood, Vince Young, NIL & More + An Update on the UM Coaching Search Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt are joined by legendary head coach and current co-host of the Stampede podcast, Mack Brown. Coach Brown shares some of his comparisons between Bryce Underwood and Vince Young and explains how he would coach a high-profile QB in the NIL era. Coach also reveals some of his gripes with today’s college football climate from rampant greed to the lack of a coherent system for player compensation.

Devin and Jake also share their thoughts on Michigan’s coaching search including the Kalen DeBoer and Kenny Dillingham rumors as well as the need for the university to rebuild overall trust in the program.

Subscribe to The Blue Print for weekly Michigan football breakdowns, film analysis and in-depth discussion from lifelong Wolverines insiders.

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REACTION to Sherrone Moore fired as Michigan's head coach, where does Michigan go from here Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Sherrone Moore has been fired with cause as Michigan's head football coach. Jake and Devin react to the news and dive into what it means for the program and who Michigan could go to next for their head coaching opening.

Subscribe to The Blue Print for weekly Michigan football breakdowns, film analysis and in-depth discussion from lifelong Wolverines insiders. Show us that you’re true maize and blue and help us tear down that 10,000 subscribers barrier before this weekend’s game!

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Indiana Wins the Big 10 Title, Curt Cignetti Works His Magic and Allen Trieu Talks UM Recruiting Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt recap Indiana’s win over Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship game. So how did this school with hardly any football history to speak of just rattle off an undefeated regular season with a win against the undefeated Buckeyes to cap it off? Two words: Curt… Cignetti. Devin and Jake go deep on what makes Coach Cignetti so successful and what he’s done to bring the best out of Heisman favorite Fernando Mendoza.

Then, the guys are joined by Allen Trieu of 247 Sports to break down Michigan’s star studded recruiting class. Allen shares his insight of top notch Wolverines prospects like #1 RB Savion Hiter and 5-star WR Travis Johnson as well as some of the more underrated recruits that you’ll want to know about as well.

And finally, the guys give Sherrone Moore some props for wasting no time in fixing a weakness from this year’s team by going out and hiring a new highly regarded special teams coach.

Subscribe to The Blue Print for weekly Michigan football breakdowns, film analysis and in-depth discussion from lifelong Wolverines insiders.

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Michigan Falls to OSU, Dev Stresses Process Over Results, Is Sherrone the Right Man for the Job? Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt recap Ohio State’s 27-9 win over the Wolverines. Jake points out the unfortunate reality that Michigan just does not appear to be in the Buckeye’s class right now while Devin stresses that it isn’t necessarily time to jump ship but it’s not time to be sipping Mai Tai’s either.

Then, Devin breaks down Bryce Underwood’s performance stressing the need to emphasize process over results; sure, there were some plays that netted Michigan positive gains, but did they go about getting them the right way?

And finally, the guys address the question that many of the fans have been asking: is Sherrone Moore the right man for this job? Jake and Devin share their thoughts.

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Michigan-Ohio State Preview, Beanie Wells Joins the Show, Bryce Underwood’s Positive Progress Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

It’s the week that we’ve all been waiting for! On the latest episode of The Blue Print, Devin Gardner and Jake Butt get you ready for Michigan and Ohio State at the Big House in Ann Arbor! Dev lays out some of his recent observations and keys to the game including the promising development of Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines potential to succeed in the running game and why they’ve got to be cautious when throwing the ball over the middle.

Plus, we go behind enemy lines and talk with former Buckeye running back and current co-host of The Script podcast, Beanie Wells. Beanie reflects on his role in the legendary 2006 meeting between these two teams and explains why last year’s OSU loss changed the trajectory of the program for the better.

And finally, Devin and Jake give you their firsthand experiences of what it was like being a part of this game including Devin’s memories of gutting it out with a broken foot – it may not be something you’d do in every game, but you do it in this one!

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