Even though it’s only April, Michigan football fans are already counting down the days until late August. After a rocky 2024, they’re ready for a comeback — and one young player is already getting fans fired up.

Freshman pass-rusher Dominic Nichols made headlines during spring practices for throwing some serious shade at Ohio State and Alabama. While talking to the media, he didn’t hold back when asked about carrying momentum into the new season.

“We went from whooping Ohio State to whopping Alabama too,” Nichols said, laughing and realizing mid-sentence he might’ve gone a bit far. Still, the message was loud and clear — Michigan’s feeling confident.

For context, Michigan edged out Ohio State 13-10 in their regular season finale, keeping bragging rights even though OSU later won the national title. Then, in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Michigan’s defense shut down Alabama and grabbed a 19-13 win, which led to a ton of backlash from Bama fans aimed at coach Kalen DeBoer.

Now, all eyes are on the 2025 squad to bounce back strong. In 2023, Michigan were national champs, but they struggled last season. With promising QB Bryce Underwood and a fired-up defense led by players like Nichols, fans are hoping things turn around. Oh — and you can bet Ohio State’s already circling that rematch on their calendar, thanks to Nichols’ trash talk.