Eight members of the Michigan football team will have an opportunity to improve their NFL draft stock later this month.
Max Bredeson, Donaven McCulley, Marlin Klein, Jaishawn Barham, Rayshaun Benny, Derrick Moore, Jimmy Rolder and Dominic Zvada have all earned invitations to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the league announced Wednesday.
The event, set to run from Feb. 23 to March 2 at the Indiana Convention Center and adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium, is always a must-do on any draft hopeful’s calendar.
Prospects meet all 32 teams, undergo a rigorous medical examination, are measured, tested and put through a day of on-field workouts, all in hopes of boosting their draft stock come April.
Most of the names listed above were expected, but not all. McCulley was a late add to the Senior Bowl after earning an invite to the upstart American Bowl game in Orlando. Bredeson, who played five seasons at Michigan, first at tight end and later fullback, is listed among the running backs to earn an invite. Bredeson earned a Shrine Bowl invite in January, often a precursor to his combine invite.
Still, everyone invited were regular starters who had a major impact on Michigan’s 9-4 season. Barham showed he could be a disruptor off the edge, as was Moore, while Benny was a reliable plug at defensive tackle.
All three were Senior Bowl participants, along with Klein, Michigan’s top tight end who caught 24 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown.
McCulley was Michigan’s second-leading receiver, catching 39 passes for 588 yards and three touchdowns.
Zvada, the Big Ten’s kicker of the year in 2024, is considered one of the top kicking prospects in this year’s draft.
Of note, neither of the two Michigan offensive linemen to declare for the NFL draft earned combine invites. Guard Giovanni El-Hadi, a team captain, was the biggest omission of the group after opting out of the Citrus Bowl and receiving a Shrine Bowl invite.
Others to declare but didn’t earn a combine invite: Greg Crippen, edge rusher TJ Guy, defensive tackles Damon Payne and Tre Williams, and long snapper Greg Tarr.
The 2026 NFL Draft is April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.