The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 55 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING "I expect for him to get in on some elite players in Alabama with his ties here and to the in-state high school programs," Steele said. "We look forward to hearing more from him now that he's at Michi- gan. Chip is already in on our 2027 quar- terback [Myers] early. He's a good, young player with a high ceiling. "Our guys are willing to leave. We have three players on Big Ten teams. It's all about having the right person. With his style of offense and his ties here, players will be more willing to leave and play for Michigan." Lindsey had a brief stint at UCF and has also recruited the state of Florida hard over the years. In the 2026 recruit- ing cycle, Lindsey had offers out to two Sunshine State signal-callers while at UNC, including Notre Dame commit Noah Grubbs. Baylin Trujillo, who works with Grubbs and is one of the nation's top private quarterback trainers, is based in Florida and has a strong relationship with Lind- sey. "Chip Lindsey is one of the realest coaches I know," Trujillo said. "He re- cruits the quarterback position hard and really takes his time evaluating quarter- backs before he makes a decision on an offer. Now that he's at Michigan, getting an offer from him to play at such a prolific program will really mean something to a quarterback. I really value him because he values me. Michigan landed one of the best in the country." Lindsey is set to inherit 2025 five- star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1-ranked recruit in America this cy- cle. Underwood is clearly the future of the program, which means Lindsey may have a tough time finding a signal-caller willing to come in after him. At North Carolina, Lindsey already held a 2026 commitment from three-star Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day quarter- back Zaid Lott. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Lott has an impressive frame with plenty of upside and could be a good fit as a de- velopmental piece behind Underwood. However, it is unclear if Lindsey will make a move for Lott at Michigan. "I'm staying with Carolina and wait- ing to see who the new head coach will be," Lott said. "Once that person is hired, I will take the necessary steps that are needed." Lindsey has a handful of other options for 2026, including three-star Kings- ton (Ga.) Cass quarterback Brodie Mc- Whorter, who was one of the first re- cruits Lindsey reached out to after being hired at U-M. McWhorter just backed out of an early verbal pledge to West Virginia and is set to have more dialogue with Lindsey this month. Lindsey spent one year as a high school coach in Georgia and has strong ties in the Peach State as well. "Coach Lindsey is my guy," Mc- Whorter said. "When he recruited me at UNC, it felt like family the whole time and someone my family and I could trust. With him being in Ann Arbor, my interest is definitely high with the Wol- verines, especially with my cousin Bear McWhorter (three-star 2026 offensive lineman). He has been up there multiple times and talks highly of Michigan. I can't wait to learn more about it myself." The 2027 recruiting cycle may be more pivotal for quarterback recruiting with Underwood entering his junior year that fall. Michigan is already the early favor- ite for Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic quarterback Trae Taylor, who is fired up about the Lindsey hire. While his roots are in the Southeast, Lindsey hasn't been afraid to recruit the Midwest and put an early offer on the table for Taylor while at UNC. "I love it," Taylor said. "I already have a good relationship with him from him recruiting and offering me while he was at UNC. I think he will be a great fit at Michigan." Lindsey is very active in the state of Alabama and will likely target elite 2027 quarterback Trent Seaborn, who he also offered at North Carolina. "I've kept in pretty close touch with Coach Lindsey for the past year or more, and I think he's an outstanding coach and great leader of men," Seaborn said. "He's got a long relationship with my high school coach, Mark Freeman, too. I'm really happy for Coach Lindsey. I think he will do an incredible job at Michigan, and I'm really excited for him." Arden (N.C.) Christ School's Mason Holtzclaw is yet another 2027 quarter- back who Lindsey offered at North Caro- lina. "Coach Lindsey and I have a great re- lationship," Holtzclaw said. "We com- municate a lot, and he has been to my school to watch me throw during the spring. I've been on multiple visits to North Carolina over the past year, and I've built a great relationship with him. I've been to Michigan once during the summer for an unofficial visit. I think Coach Lindsey will do great things at Michigan, and I hope to get back up there when he gets there." It will be interesting to see if Lindsey is the right man to help a Michigan offense that struggled this season — largely due to poor quarterback play. From a pure recruiting perspective, Lindsey is a vet- eran on the trail with ties in talent-rich states. He also has strong relationships with prominent figures and has shown a willingness to recruit quarterbacks early. Lindsey will be involved with several key offensive targets in the 2026 recruit- ing class as well. While there isn't much crossover with North Carolina, there are a couple of key targets that Lindsey has familiarity with, including Top 100 Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's offensive lineman Darius Gray. "I'm excited to see the direction that Michigan goes with the new signing," Gray said. Everyone certainly feels the same way. While Michigan now has NIL backing and should keep stacking recruiting wins, the Wolverines will still have to produce on the field next season. And that starts with Lindsey and the offense. ❏ ❱ Baylin Trujillo, elite quarterback trainer based in Florida "Chip Lindsey … recruits the quarterback position hard and really takes his time evaluating quarterbacks before he makes a decision on an offer. Now that he's at Michi- gan, getting an offer from him to play at such a prolific program will really mean something to a quarterback. … Michigan landed one of the best in the country."