​ANN ARBOR, MI – NOVEMBER 25: Michigan Wolverines flag during the Michigan Wolverines versus the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday November 25, 2023 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images With a new coaching staff taking over, there are a couple of things that were always going to be inevitable going into this season — Michigan is going to have a good amount of transfers, and there are going to be a lot of question marks about the team. North Dakota State transfer linebacker Nathaniel Staehling is one of the newcomers on this 2026 squad, and his position group is one of those question marks.The story so farThe 2026 season will be Staehling’s first in the winged helmet. He was a member of the 2022 recruiting class after attending Brainerd High School in Brainerd, Minnesota, and he committed to the Bison in June 2021.Staehling did not see any game action during his freshman season, but he did take on a solid role as a sophomore. During the 2023 season, he played in 14 games and racked up 12 tackles.Last season was Staehling’s big one at North Dakota State. He had a monster season, as the team captain totaled 74 tackles, three interceptions, one pass defended and one sack. He then entered the transfer portal this winter and committed to new head coach Kyle Whittingham and the Wolverines.Outlook for 2026After missing spring ball due to an injury, he is healthy again and turning heads in fall camp ahead of the 2026 season. The good news for him heading into this season is the door is wide open for him to earn a starting job at the linebacker position. The Wolverines lost a ton of production this offseason to graduation (Ernest Hausmann), the transfer portal (Cole Sullivan) and the pros (Jaishawn Barham, Jimmy Rolder).Going into the season, Chase Taylor and Troy Bowles seem to be getting a lot of buzz, but the starting roles are not set in stone by any means. The position group is a major question mark after losing a terrific core from 2025, so fall camp will be a big determining factor in naming the starters.If Staehling doesn’t earn a starting role right away, the door will still be open for him to slide into one of those spots if things don’t work out with the others. He is going to be rotating into the game regardless, so he should be getting plenty of opportunities on the field. No matter what happens, the opportunity is there for the taking.