Good afternoon national champs. The offseason is upon us, which means it's time to have a recruiting board.

What this is: This is our sticky recruiting board for 2025. When Alex or I finish a major update (happens quarterly-ish), it will be reposted to the top of the site. Otherwise it will be under the "Useful Stuff" tab.

The Guys:

Players are ordered by our best guess at their priority level and likelihood of coming. Schools listed are prioritized by threat, with those in parentheses an as-yet unreciprocated favorite.

A Note on Premium Info: No illicit sharing of said material will appear on this site. Players are listed with interested schools in their profiles; this information is public. Commitments are by definition public. If you want a clearer picture than what can be gleaned from free browsing, subscribe to the services.

A Note on Needs and Scholarship Numbers: We're largely ignoring the 85-man limit these days because NIL can cover the cost of attendance for any player, e.g. a transfer, not subject to the rules governing scholarships for recruits who go through the process (see "blueshirting"). Expect Michigan's class to be between 23 and 28 players as usual.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Let's restart.]

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Quarterback

Needs: 1-2. You want one every year, but it's past time to get the next JJ.

Latest (April 2024): MI 5* Bryce Underwood is the #1 player in the country and playing just down the road at Belleville. He's a cultural, academic, athletic, and systemic perfect fit for Michigan, likes OC/QB coach Kirk Campbell, has visited a zillion times and grew up a fan. But LSU offered him $3 million/year for 3 years (money is always exaggerated) and Michigan doesn't like to make those kinds of commitments to freshmen.

Michigan hasn't put all of its eggs in the Underwood basket, taking a commitment from 3-star Carter Smith and treating him like the QB of the class. Insiders say they're going to keep on Underwood, and that his commitment to LSU isn't in stone, but M is adamant they don't pay for guys who haven't proven it. I'd argue if you're the #1 guy in the class you've proven it.

The Board:

Best Guess: Michigan pursues the committed Underwood to the ends of the Earth but ends up with Smith and portal.

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Running Back

Needs: 2. Hart left a loaded depth chart; even after you account for Edwards and Mullings leaving after this year, Benjamin Hall looks like a find, Cole Cabana is in line after Edwards, and Michigan added 4.5-star Jordan Marshall and another possible gem in Micah Kaapana last year. Keep the train rolling, though, because there will be attrition once carries shake out.

Latest (April 2024): This was already going to be a Michigan-Ohio State showdown before Michigan took Ohio State's RB coach. The CA 4* Jordon Davison recruitment is going down like a 5-star battle, and both want OH 4* Marquise Davis to be the 2nd guy in the class. Also there's a Bo Jackson Jr. out there. Michigan was already prying Jamario Parker out of Arkansas's class, and Hart really liked Iverson Howard so there are options if OSU wins either of those recruitments.

The Board:

Best Guess: Davison is a pick 'em, Davis is more fungible, guessing Michigan ends up with two of the top three and OSU is satisfied with Bo Jackson Jr.

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Wide Receiver

Needs: 3. Michigan needs bodies here, and while the portal will have to fill some of that, it would be nice to get (and keep) some larger individuals after Bellamy suffered a string of transfers (Anthony, Clemons, English) of guys we could use. Hard to blame him when Michigan hardly throws, but maybe when they see where Wilson and Johnson go in the draft there will be something to sell guys on?

Latest (April 2024): Bellamy classes always have a Ronnie Bell type at the top that you're pretty sure will end up in the class eventually, and this year that's Taz Williams. They'd love to beat OSU for a Quincy Porter one of these days. After those guys it's a spray approach to see if any big types are interested, with some just-a-guys down the chart in case they whiff.

The Board:

Best Guess: Taz, some big guy, and sure, Quincy Porter, because even Ohio State's hatred for Michigan can't keep them waiting around for a 4-star receiver when all the 5-stars are banging down their door, especially when this fall reveals OSU has another round of mutants to sit behind for the foreseeable future and Michigan has a path directly to the field.

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Tight End

Needs: 2-3. Michigan's struggles to fill a receiver depth chart are ameliorated by their eye for tight end talent. Want to see a couple of swings at a Loveland every class and if there's an H-back around grab him too.

Latest (April 2024): They got an early commit from Eli Owens, who seems more like a blocky Bredeson type than the usual jumbo receivers they go after. That leaves room for two jumbos, and Hayden Bradley is a good candidate to be that if Casula can get him to stop visiting Ole Miss. The rest of the board is opaque, but we'd be remiss if we didn't moon over 6'9"/215 basketball player Dakotah Terrell. Dusty May has open scholarships, just sayin'.

The Board:

Best Guess: Bradley and Owens, who then turns out to be more of a receiver than we thought, because Michigan knows how to find them.

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Offensive Line

Needs: 4. Michigan's strength since 2021 has been the experience of its OL. Projecting OL is hard, and Michigan's success in the portal doesn't seem sustainable. While you've got the reputation as the most OL-friendly program in the country, and the 85-man limit isn't really relevant anymore, you might as well go get the best OL in the country. Trading 3- and 5-man classes does tend to leave gaps, so with the program on stable footing they'd probably like to pick up four every year.

Latest (April 2024): MI 4* Avery Gach is Sherrone Moore's #1 interior and #1 OL target in this class, and has been for about two years. Gach also goes to Birmingham Groves, which has never sent a scholarship football player to Michigan, and his family sent their kids to The Learning Center preschool of Temple Shir Shalom, which probably isn't getting another shot at sending a scholarship football player to Michigan anytime soon.* As one of many Groves alumni, and one of two sons-in-law of much beloved TLC director Marsha Mitnick, this is as critical a recruitment for me as it is for Michigan. MSU is the main threat; Gach's father is an MSU alum, and they're taking in spring practice in East Lansing this week. Since the Gachs live where they can send their kids to the best public high school in America, and pray where they can send their kids to the best preschool in America, State has more reason to sweat the education factor than Michigan does the legacy factor.

I am considerably less informed as to the state of the rest of the board. The shape of OL recruiting since Sherrone Moore took it over from Ed Warinner has been to target a mix of elites and high-floor program guys. They hit on most of their favorites last year, and are on track to fill up before they run out of A targets again. National 5-star OT Andrew Babalola has had Michigan a tenuous favorite for awhile, and Michigan's chances with fellow top-of-the-board OT Jack Lange went up when Notre Dame won the recruitment of the other M-ND battle, Owen Strebig. If they miss on either, Michigan also loves a couple of Eastern tackle prospects on the rise that they got in with early in Rowan Byrne in New York, and Hardy Watts of Massachusetts. If they take another interior prospect besides Gach it's because they won a head-to-head with Penn State for Pennsylvanian Michael Carroll. Michigan's also staying in touch with a few more national prospects, with Nevada's Douglas Utu a name to keep an eye on as a riser who might be too good not to make a priority. Texas track athlete Marcus Garcia is another in that vein. I may have missed one or a dozen other guys Michigan "leads" for because, with good reason, if you throw a stone at a high school offensive lineman these days he'll say he wants to commit to Michigan.

* [I wouldn't rule out a softball player in 7 years though.]

The Board:

Best Guess: Gach, one of Babalola/Lange, one of Watts/Byrne, and one of Utu/Carroll/Garcia. Gun to head: Gach, Babaola, Watts, Utu.

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Defensive Interior

Needs: 2-3. Michigan picked up four DT prospects in 2024, but they're going to lose Grant and Graham to the NFL after this year, and there's quite a gap between their understudies and two guys older than them that they passed to get there. An impact 2025 freshman will have as much opportunity as Wafle/Hammond/Palepale/Beigel of getting on the field behind Rayshaun Benny and Trey Pierce when that time comes.

Latest (April 2024): Michigan got an early commitment from MI 3.5* Bobby Kanka, a high-floor/high-motor type who's a coveted OL target to some other schools—Tennessee's OL coach made a run at Kanka in February. Kanka's also moved up the rankings quite a bit since his commitment, earning a 4th star in the composite if not yet to 247 itself.

The rest of the DT board looked considerably more optimistic, if not materially different, before they lost (OH 4*) Mike Elston* to the NFL, then quickly had to jettison Greg Scruggs. Two Illinois prospects have led the top of the board since it was made, Nate Marshall and Jaylen Williams. Michigan and Illinois have been after Marshall forever, and Elston seemed close to getting a commitment at one point, but wasn't there to close the deal before the nation got its hands on Marshall's junior film. Esposito was another early believer so there's some optimism Michigan can regain their momentum and close the deal this summer. Espo already has a strong relationship with Williams, a 6'6/265 DE/DT that Ryan Walters has recruiting since Illinois. Walters has been extremely salty since Michigan snake-oiled Jyaire Hill out of his grasp, so winning that battle would be extra delicious.

The one post-Espo target of interest thus far is TX 4* DJ Sanders, a Chris Hinton-like heavy DE in high school who was down to Texas or Texas A&M before suddenly scheduling a mid-April trip to Ann Arbor. We'll see if that changes anything.

The coaching shakeup was more evident outside of Chicagoland. TN 4* Ethan Utley went from a Vols/Wolverines battle to committed to Tennessee (Michigan's done). IMG (Florida native) 4* London Merritt committed to Ohio State (Michigan's not done). FL 4* Myron Charles and GA 4* Kevin Wynn seem to be down to Florida schools. Penn State gained a tenuous lead and Ohio State gained a foothold in the race for 6'3/270 PA 4* wrestler Maxwell Roy, and another year's removal from Biff Poggi has distanced Michigan from the talk two years ago that two sophomore starters at St. Frances might play together at Michigan or Clemson. One of them—Trent Wilson—isn't even at St. Frances anymore, and is close to committing to Brent Venables. The other, MD 3* Darrion Smith, seems OSU-bound if they have room for him, and a Maryland-PSU battle if they don't. Tony Esposito is a great hire, so while you may hear the other candidate (the Illinois DT coach that Walters tried to bring with him to Purdue) may have been favorable from the perspective of current recruiting needs, long-term I think this is going to work out.

The Board:

Best Guess: If Esposito can win a gone-national recruitment for Nate Marshall we're in business. I'm going to hedge for now and say they get Jaylen Williams, add someone not yet on the board, and use the portal a bit while Espo establishes himself with 2026 prospects.

* [If you're wondering (you weren't), 1993 Ohio edge prospect Mike Elston was the #10 OLB and #15 prospect in the Midwest to Tom Lemming; an All-American and the #14 LB to BlueChip Illustrated; and the #37 prospect in the Midwest to Superprep. That comes out to a 4.05*—between Mason Curtis and Semaj Bridgeman—in my star chart.]

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Edge

Needs: 2. As with DT, Michigan brought in a bunch of edges last year, of various shapes and sizes, for two positions. The program is using "Open" and "Heavy" for what's basically a standup DE who drops into coverage up to 40% of the time (Jaylen Harrell) and an SDE who's at least 260 pounds, super long, and lines up outside of the tight end (Mike Morris), respectively.

Latest (April 2024): If the DT focus has been in Illinois, the two edges most associated with Michigan recruiting for the early part of this cycle were both from Indiana. 4* Damien Shanklin is a pass-rusher still being called underrated despite cracking the top-50 on 247 and nearing the top-100 in the composite. A ND-Michigan battle that spilled into a national one, Ohio State used Michigan's winter lull to move up to a slight leader. Mariyon Dye is the other IN 4* that's looking like a Michigan-OSU-Others battle royale where Michigan's making up ground lost from losing Elston. In both cases M is trying to get the 5th visit from guys with four locked in.

Options past the two hoosiers are mixed, and probably incomplete. CA 4* Marco Jones fits the profile of a lengthy multi-sport athlete. KS 4* Jayden Woods is a three-sport (wrestling, track) athlete who popped in for an unofficial in March, but that was when we had Scruggs, who was also recruiting Woods at Wisconsin. IMG's Dylon Worthen seems like a gettable option. Michigan may also try to turn a couple of PSU-bound guys towards a more successful program, raid Illinois, or look at some of the LBs that Brian Jean-Mary was involved with at Tennessee.

The Wolverines don't seem to be involved with 5* Jared Smith, the nation's top pass-rusher. After holding onto none of the three J.Smiths committed to them in 2024 I too am beginning to revise my opinions about J.Smith involvements.

The Board:

Best Guess: The board is not the board. Let's see how these recruitments look like after Esposito's been here for more than a couple of weeks, and who gets added to the board. I expected a few Anchor types given that's been his specialty to a degree I haven't seen since Don Brown.

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Linebacker

Needs: 2-3. Hearing good things before we need to about RS freshmen Hayden Moore and Jason Hewlett, and depending on which staff member you ask they're super-high on the 2024s as well. But Brian Jean-Mary may have different tastes than George Helow and Chris Partridge, and some of the guys on the roster who've been through a lot of LB coaches are greater portal risks because of it.

Latest (April 2024): NJ 4* Kamar Archie has been a big name on their board for a few LB coaches now, and a lack of wobble over that time suggests he's not just a NJ 4-star who was interested in Michigan for Partridge. GA 3* Chase Taylor received a flurry of SEC/ACC offers in February and seems to be reciprocating Michigan's the most strongly, with a visit and a slew of articles generated from it—expect him to be a top target and to get a rankings bump somewhere since Sam compared him to Sainristil and OMG($). Also in that article is Michigan's pursuit of Miami (YTM) commit Elijah Melendez, which now finally has a LB coach to head it after director of recruiting Sam Popper kept the flame going for a few months. Another recruitment that suffered between Partridge's firing and BJM's hiring was that of GA 4* Tavion Wallace, an FSU vs SEC battle that Jean-Mary partaking in. Michigan's also been the natural leader for a long time for IL 3* Christian Pierce, the little brother of sophomore DT Trey; OSU is poking around there and getting some traction.

The Board:

Best Guess: I'm feeling an optimistic vibe from the LB stories that may be Brian Jean-Mary projecting, or a reflection of the fact that Michigan somehow remained in good shape with a few B+ tier guys despite not having a permanent linebacker coach for a big chunk of the cycle. Give me Chase Taylor, Eljijah Melendez, and then going way out on a limb and saying Dawson Merritt.

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Safety

Needs: 2-3. They only have one from each of the last two cycles, Hillman didn't redshirt, and only he and Zeke Berry will still be around as early as next year unless Rod Moore choose to run it back again. If Morgan's up for it, there's room to get an elite or two, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a Q-Jo or two to redshirt as well.

Latest (April 2024): The one elite on the board is NC 4* JaDon Blair, who's been in close contact with Ron Bellamy throughout his recruitment, was the rare recruit that Jesse Minter was involved with personally, and whom we're told the new staff believes they can secure. As it was in the days of Brown and Mattison and Hermann, Notre Dame and Penn State are the top competition for Michigan's top safety target. PSU can sell an excellent track record at safety in recent years, and ND is somehow more desperate for warm bodies than we are, but even Tom Loy acknowledges Michigan held a tenuous lead prior to a visit to ND that included meeting the AD.

The rest of the board at this point is "Elite guy everyone wants" where Michigan isn't standing out in any meaningful way. LaMarr Morgan's first offer was to NC 4.5* Jordan Young, which adds to the young Sherrone vibe you get from Morgan where he thinks he can just leap into 5-star recruitments and probably will win a few a few once he has the chance to be involved in them for more than 9 months. I'm intrigued by Kendall Daniels and how he reacts to Bama's offer, since DeBoer would often hop into recruitments that Washington had no business in when a guy was dramatically underscouted.

Trey McNutt is the #2 prospect in Ohio and son of 1999-'02 OSU CB Richard McNutt, which makes Trey sort of and Evil Will Johnson. There was a point when WJ was strongly considering OSU, and there's a path here for Michigan as well, but they probably need Donovan Edwards to blaze through it for 75 and 85 yards again if they're gonna use it to escape with McNutt.

The Board:

Best Guess: Blair and another, probably someone Morgan adds to the board. The ND visit didn't seem to change things for Blair, which has me cautiously optimistic Michigan comes out ahead even if it means Blair has to turn down some upfront money in the process.

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Cornerback

Needs: 2-eleventybillion. Don't ask me I am incapable of believing there's such a thing as too many cornerbacks. But Will Johnson is NFL-bound after this year, and last year's freshmen have passed everyone on the roster save perhaps Ja'Den McBurrows in a room that also lost its longtime position coach to the NFL. We'll see what they get from the 2024 freshmen, but indicators are strong that they 2025 class is going to have a pretty open depth chart before them.

Latest (April 2024): Michigan seems close to a pair of Tier 1 commits who were high on Clinkscale and have reacted well to Morgan. OH 4.5* Dawayne Galloway is from Columbus, and one of the fastest players in Ohio, but for whatever reason hasn't been associated with Ohio State since the early days of his recruitment. Michigan's fending off a late push from PSU after lengthening a lead over Kentucky, Purdue, and Syracuse over the course of the cycle, and will probably get a commitment in time. FWIW Allen Trieu comps Galloway to Ambry Thomas.

The other near commit is Alex Graham, who was playing at Cass Tech until someone told him you have to be a 5'6 to do that (I'm guessing) and Graham went to IMG. Bellamy has been tight with him the whole way, and once Graham's done taking a free visit to Boulder people think he's going to end up in Michigan's class as well.

The top nickel on the board for awhile has been VA 3* Jahmari DeLoatch, but chatter from recent visits to VT and Virginia seem to indicate Michigan's dropped off since losing Clink. On the surface this is a Michigan guy: a speedy/jumpy track star who brings up "academics and good ball" to recruiting reporters. I don't know whom they're pursuing for nickel instead but I'd like to see them ping NJ 4* CB/RB Jahmir Joseph, who keeps bringing up Michigan on his own. Joseph is a D-I caliber hoops guard with football visits scheduled to Stanford, Penn State, and Notre Dame. The basketball focus has him (and his suitors) all way behind where they'd be normally in the recruiting cycle.

Another target that Clink may have valued more than his successor is MI 3* Elijah Dotson, a tall bump-n-run type at UofD who used to be getting mentions in Michigan/PSU sweeps and now comes up primarily in MSU and Pitt articles. Hank's son Tre Poteat is another of those if you substitute Tennessee for PSU and Iowa State/Wisconsin for MSU/Pitt. Either may be more likely than making up ground for ND's Benjamin Morrison-esque top target Mark Zackery IV, but Michigan has basketball scholarships available and may try to interest the leaper in playing both. Former 5-star Chris Ewald was committed to this class for awhile, but people were always like "Are you suurrrre?" with that one before he started taking visits during Michigan's championship run. Ewald's since dropped to the edge of 3-stardom on 247, is still listed at 165, and seems to be choosing between Louisville and Miami.

The Board:

Best Guess: Galloway, Graham, or both may be Michigan's next commits, which will probably do it for outside. I don't want to downgrade DeLoatch because I like him, but Michigan may have moved on. Interested to see what Morgan does with nickel.

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REVISIONS LIST

• 4/9/24: Launched (Seth)
• 4/22/24: Moved Nate Marshall to committed (Seth)