The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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156 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan enters the summer with the No. 5-ranked 2024 recruit- ing class nationally per the On3 Industry Ranking and is looking to close strong. At the same time, the Wolverines are also hard at work on underclassman targets in the next cycle. Michigan already has two commits in the 2025 class. Four-star cornerback Chris Ewald from Miami's Chaminade- Madonna Prep was the first to commit last December. He is ranked as the No. 8 cornerback and No. 91 overall prospect nationally per the On3 Industry Ranking and has made five visits to U-M. Ewald was most recently on campus at the end of March. Linebacker Mantrez Walker from Bu- ford (Ga.) High committed in February, and he returned to the U-M campus in early June to take part in the team's Big Ten championship ring ceremony fes- tivities. "It was great getting the chance to see champions and what all of their hard work leads to," Walker told The Wolver- ine. Both Ewald and Walker have been ac- tive in promoting U-M to other top re- cruits. Here is a look at 10 of the top 2025 prospects Michigan fans need to know. QB BRYCE UNDERWOOD Belleville (Mich.) High Un d e rwo o d i s a rg u - ably the biggest fish on M i c h i ga n 's e n t i re re - cruiting board for the 2025 cycle. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall prospect in the country by On3 and would be a game- changer for the Wolverines under center. In two seasons at Belleville, he's 27-1 as a starter with two state championships to his credit. Last year, as a sophomore, he threw for 2,762 yards and 37 touch- downs while adding 632 yards rushing and 8 more scores. The five-star in-state recruit has al- ready been to Michigan on multiple oc- casions, including a couple of times this past spring. New U-M quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell has done a fantastic job of re- cruiting Underwood and has the Wol- verines right around the top of his list. Michigan is doing everything it can to keep Underwood home but will have to fight off the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee and others. RB IVERSON HOWARD Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard Nicknamed "Rocket," Howard is a speedy all- purpose back with home run ability. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder can also run between the tackles and would be a great comple- m e n t to O n 3 To p -1 0 0 2024 Michigan running back commit Jordan Marshall. Howard rushed for 1,650 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall, while leading Quince Orchard to a 14-0 mark and its second consecutive Maryland 4A state championship. He earned MVP honors in the title game with 195 yards and 2 TDs. Howard, the No. 12 running back and No. 130 overall prospect nationally per On3, made his first unofficial visit to Michigan in the spring and named U-M his leader following the trip. Howard is looking to make a return visit this off- season. Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart will have a great opportunity to seal the deal as the cycle progresses. Florida, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, Wisconsin, West Virginia and others are also in- volved. WR TALYN TAYLOR Geneva (Ill.) Community Michigan is going back to the well. After all, the Wo l ve r i n e s h a ve h a d plenty of success recruit- i n g C h i c a go l a n d p a s s catchers in recent cycles, landing the likes of Ty- l e r Mo r r i s ( 2 02 2 ) a n d I'Marion Stewart (2023). Next in line is Taylor, the No. 10 wide receiver and No. 58 overall prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. Taylor is part of the same club 7v7 program, Midwest Boom, that produced both Morris and Stewart as well as U-M quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In 10 games last fall for his high school, he averaged 73 yards per catch and to- taled 8 receiving touchdowns. The On3 Top-100 recruit visited Mich- igan for its spring game and connected well with position coach Ron Bellamy. Michigan is high on his list early on, along with Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Tennessee and others. TE T'ANDRE WAVERLY Mukilteo (Wash.) Kamiak Michigan has been try- ing to land top talent out of Washington over the last few cycles and finally picked up a big recruiting win in On300 2024 tight end Hogan Hansen. Now, the Wolverines are looking to land another elite Pacific Northwest prospect in Waverly, the No. 4 tight end and No. 92 overall recruit na- tionally per the On3 Industry Ranking. Waverly is part of the same training program, Fort Sports Performance, as Hansen. The two are friends, and that should definitely give the Wolverines a boost. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Waverly runs a blazing 10.6 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He finished second in the state 4A meet this spring. Waverly made his first visit to Michi- gan in the spring and bonded well with tight ends coach Grant Newsome and 10 Elite U-M Targets In The 2025 Class Belleville (Mich.) quarterback Bryce Under- wood is rated as the No. 1 prospect nationally in the 2025 class by On3 and is at the top of U-M's recruiting board. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND