The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2024 ❱ PREP PROFILES Michigan doesn't have any true West Coast ties on its coaching staff. But that's not going to stop new head coach Sher- rone Moore and company from recruiting the region. In fact, Moore personally reached out to On3 Industry Ranking Top 100 2025 San Clemente (Calif.) High linebacker Matai Tagoa'i shortly after he was promoted. "He hit me up the day he got signed," Tagoa'i said. "He reminded me that I'm still a priority for them. That was a big deal for me. It's good to hear that. He's a younger head coach, and I know he wants to win. That's my main goal. I want to contribute to a winning team. It would be a blessing to be a part of that." Michigan was forced to replace its en- tire defensive staff this offseason. How- ever, new linebackers coach Brian Jean- Mary had already recruited Tagoa'i during his time at Tennessee. "I think it was a great hire," Tagao'i said of Jean-Mary. "I'm very excited about the hire — me and my family. It only makes my interest in Michigan go up. With the history that he has with his run defense being aggressive and the big schools he's coached at, I think it's a great pickup. I would be blessed to get some knowledge from him." Michigan spent a lot of time finding positionless athletes on the defensive side of the ball last cycle and may take a similar approach this year. At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Tagoa'i has experience playing both linebacker and safety, and has a frame similar to 2024 U-M signee Mason Curtis. "Position is really the biggest question right now in my recruitment," Tagoa'i said. "It really depends on which school I'm talking to. Michigan sees me as an outside linebacker. I'm fully open to that." Tagaoa'i has yet to visit Michigan but is looking to make his first trip to Ann Arbor this spring. "I think I'm going to get out there for spring ball for sure," Tagoa'i said. "I want to see the defense and how they use their linebackers. I also want to see the envi- ronment and then go from there." U-M is in a good position with the tal- ented defender. "Michigan stands high," Tagoa'i said. "Their defense was on point damn near every week this season. They showed versatility at the linebacker spot, which I value a lot. Michigan is a perfect place to show my versatility." Along with Michigan, Tagoa'i also holds offers from Auburn, Georgia, Mi- ami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC and others. Tagoa'i is ranked as the No. 11 line- backer and No. 81 overall recruit nation- ally, per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the four leading re- cruiting media services. — EJ Holland Michigan recently dipped down into the Lone Star State and put an offer on the table for Forney (Texas) High running back Javian Osborne, who is the first run- ning back in the 2026 recruiting class to notch an offer from the Wolverines. And it's safe to say he's fired up about the new opportunity. "It was an exciting moment for me," Osborne said. "I was just happy and ex- cited. This is what I worked for, so I wasn't surprised. I was just thankful that I was blessed with the talent to get this offer." Michigan should be a destination school for top running back prospects from around the country. After all, the Wolverines feature one of the best rushing attacks in college football. Osborne, who rushed for 2,231 yards and 39 touchdowns as a sophomore last season, paid close attention to U-M's backs this past season and loved the way they were utilized. "I like the running backs they've had like Blake Corum, who is heading to the draft," Osborne said. "I was very im- pressed with them this year. "It gets cold up there, so they'll al- ways be a run-first team. Having those big linemen blocking for you, I feel like I could succeed up there for sure. See- ing those backs thrive this season was awesome." Osborne added that he was extremely impressed with Michigan's run to the national championship. "It was a surprise," he said. "I was like 'Wow' after they beat Alabama. Then they beat Washington. That was big for the program. After those devastating losses those past couple of years, they got past it and earned it. I was impressed with the way Jim Harbaugh was able to raise that program up." New special teams coordinator J.B. Brown has strong ties in Texas and per- sonally extended the offer to Osborne after visiting him at his high school dur- ing the contact period. "He actually grew up in Forney," Os- borne said. "His dad was the head coach at North Forney when [Indianapolis Colts safety] Armani Watts was playing there. We had a little connection. He seems like a really cool guy. He's a laid-back type of coach." The next step for Osborne is making his first-ever visit to Michigan, which he hopes will happen soon. "I most definitely want to visit," Os- borne said. "There is a lot of history there, and Michigan has produced some great players like Jourdan Lewis, Aidan Hutchinson and Devin Bush. I want to get a look at the campus and the city." Along with Michigan, Osborne holds offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, Tennessee and USC. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Osborne is rated as a four-star prospect. — EJ Holland Four-Star California Linebacker Excited About Michigan 2026 Texas Running Back Earns U-M Offer ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ San Clemente San Clemente, Calif. Class: 2025 Position: Linebacker Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 185 On3 Rankings: No. 9 player in California, and No. 14 linebacker and No. 117 prospect na- tionally ❱ Matai Tagoa'i ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Forney Forney, Texas Class: 2026 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-10 • Wt.: 175 On3 Rankings: No. 2 player in Texas, and No. 1 running back and No. 20 prospect nationally ❱ Javian Osborne