A New Year’s Eve contest between Michigan and Texas should be a huge draw, but there’s chaos in Ann Arbor, a slew of opt-outs and several surprising transfer defections in Austin, as well as a bunch of injuries – all of which puts a damper on this game.

The Sherrone Moore debacle is drawing to a close, as Michigan has agreed to terms with Kyle Whittingham, a no-nonsense coach who should help stop the damage the program has recently experienced. Yet despite this, the Wolverines’ top NFL prospects won’t be playing in this game.

Top Prospects That Will Sit Out

Defenders Jaishawn Barham and Derrick Moore have announced they are opting out of the contest, while running back Justice Haynes and offensive tackle Evan Link missed the final month of the season with injury. All four are projected as Day 2 prospects.

Michigan guard Giovanni El-Hadi chose to opt out of the game, which is strange, as he’s graded as a late-round pick.

For the Longhorns, running backs CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner both entered the transfer portal.

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Texas will be without a half-dozen starters on defense due to opt-outs, including juniors Anthony Hill Jr. and Malik Muhammad, who officially declared for the draft.

Hill is likely to end up in the first round, potentially as a top-20 pick, where I expect him to draw interest from the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Muhammad is a solid second-round prospect that the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions will consider.

Top 2026 NFL Draft Prospect To Watch

So, where does that leave us come game time?

Texas signal-caller Arch Manning officially announced that he will return to Austin next season, and he should be applauded for that choice. Manning, the sentimental favorite among people who barely watched him play before 2025 yet loved his name, started terribly when the season opened but improved as the weeks went by.

He has excellent physical skills and a much better arm than his soon-to-be Hall of Fame uncle Peyton, yet he does not read defenses or make decisions nearly as well as the two Super Bowl-winning Manning quarterbacks.

Longhorn tight end Jack Endries, who became a favorite target of Manning’s early in the season, has said he will play and is expected to return in 2026. He’s a terrific playmaking tight end who does a solid job blocking.

Prospect Who Benefits Most From Opt-Outs

The job of Longhorns left tackle Trevor Goosby was made much easier after the announcement that Barham and Moore would opt out of the game. The Wolverines’ pass rushers combined for 14 sacks, 20.5 TFLs, and eight hurries.

Both have the style and substance to exploit Goosby, who is predicted to be a top-50 pick by some.

I’m not as high on Goosby, who is only a redshirt sophomore, and I was told it’s a 50/50 proposition whether he’ll enter the draft or stay in school.