The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK On3's scouting department released its initial On300 rankings for the 2026 recruiting class on March 18. Here is a look at 10 prospects the Wolverines would be wise to offer. RB SAVION HITER Woodberry Forest (Va.) School New Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford only offered a few 2026 running backs during his time at Ohio State. Hiter was at the very top of the board, which comes as no surprise since he checked in as On3's No. 2 running back and No. 29 overall prospect nationally. Hiter has long been interested in Michigan, has a preexisting relationship with Alford and would be a monster in U-M's run-heavy offensive sys- tem. This one makes way too much sense. RB JAVIAN MALLORY Boca Raton (Fla.) West Boca Raton Mallory is another running back that Alford was on during his time in Ohio State. Alford has a long track record of successful recruitments in the state of Florida, and it is fully expected that he will be busy in the Sunshine State moving forward. At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Mallory has good size and has been playing at the varsity level since he was an eighth grader. Mallory, who checked in at No. 226 overall and as the No. 20 ball carrier nationally, would be another quality fit in Michi- gan's run-heavy attack. WR DYZIER CARTER Woodberry Forest (Va.) School I've been high on Carter for about a year now and wrote that Michigan should offer after I saw him live at the GameDay Camp. Carter, who is ranked as the No. 92 overall recruit and No. 11 wide receiver nationally, is filling out his 6-foot, 180-pound frame and can play both inside and outside. He flashed high route-running ability and ex- plosiveness at the camp. He could be used in a very similar way as Roman Wilson. Carter also happens to be a teammate of Hiter. OL IMMANUEL IHEANACHO North Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep Iheanacho was one of the biggest surprises of the rankings release. The massive 6-foot-7, 320-pounder is unranked by every other recruit- ing service. However, On3 made him a five-star and listed him as the No. 3 overall prospect and top offensive tackle in the country. Iheanacho has an impressive frame and a ton of potential. A school like Michigan, which is known for offensive line production, should certainly catch his attention. Iheanacho only has 10 listed offers as of mid-March, so it would be smart for Michigan to jump in the mix now. OL JOHN TURNTINE Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley I gave Turntine a glowing review after watching him live at the Under Armour Dallas camp, and he is now ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall recruit nationally. Yes, Turntine is going to be a tough one to pull from the Lone Star State. However, one of his assistant coaches is a big Michigan fan and is actually a member on The Fort. I think there would be legitimate interest if Michigan decided to enter the picture. OL CARTER SCRUGGS Leesburg (Va.) Loudoun County Don't be surprised if this one happens soon. Scruggs is set to make his first visit to Michi- gan this spring and has already been in contact with new offensive line coach Grant Newsome. If Scruggs passes the eye test on the visit, he could very well notch a scholarship from the Wolverines. Scruggs, the No. 123 overall recruit and No. 10 interior offensive lineman nationally, projects as a guard at the next level and has been seeing his stock rise with offers from Alabama, Penn State and others. OL THOMAS WILDER Virginia Beach (Va.) Green Run Michigan needs to land more high-end tackles moving forward, and Wilder definitely fits the de- scription. At 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, he has an im- pressive frame and plus athleticism. He has been hoping for a Michigan offer for a while now and is impressed with the Wolverines' recent offensive line production. Wilder, the No. 142 overall recruit and No. 12 offensive tackle nationally, is very open to going far away from home as well. He boasts offers from Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and others. LB ISAIAH SIMMONS Norfolk (Va.) Maury Michigan isn't really involved with any big-time linebacker recruits in 2026. That should change un- der new position coach Brian Jean-Mary. Simmons, the No. 62 overall recruit and No. 5 linebacker na- tionally, is the perfect prospect to dish out an offer to. The Wolverines have done well with thinner, speedier, plus athletes, and Simmons fits the bill at 6-foot, 190 pounds. Simmons was part of a dominant Maury team that won a Virginia state title. Despite the high ranking, he counts a Virginia Tech offer as his best yet. The door is wide open for U-M to make a move. CB DOMINICK KELLY Tampa (Fla.) Robinson Kelly was one of the more impressive underclass- man defensive backs at Battle New Orleans. He boasts an impressive offer sheet that features the likes of Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oklahoma and USC, and checked in at No. 180 nationally and as the country's No. 19 cornerback. At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Kelly has the build that Michigan usually looks for in a cornerback. He's also a strong academic student and very willing to leave the Southeast. In fact, Notre Dame and USC are considered early frontrunners. I briefly spoke to Kelly, and he told me he is "extremely" interested in Michigan and would love an offer. S JAMARRION GORDON Jackson (Ala.) High Gordon is part of the Gas Crew Elite training and seven-on-seven program, which produced Michigan wide receiver Karmello English. That tie should give Michigan an in here. New secondary coach LaMar Morgan spent plenty of time in the South and should be able to connect with prospects like Gordon. Getting on him now is a must, as Gordon has already blown up with offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oregon and Tennessee. He checked in at No. 229 overall and as the No. 17 safety nationally. — EJ Holland 10 RECRUITS MICHIGAN SHOULD OFFER FROM THE INITIAL 2026 ON300 RANKINGS Running back Savion Hiter rushed for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore at Woodberry Forest (Va.) School last fall. The 2026 prospect averaged 117.8 yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER/ON3