The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 41 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING with my length and my size." While Moten was a nice early morn- ing surprise, Michigan garnered a ton of buzz later in the day when it sealed the deal with one of its top overall remaining targets — four-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy linebacker Nathaniel Owusu- Boateng. Michigan made Owusu-Boateng the priority at the linebacker position throughout the cycle. Even when Notre Dame, where his brother, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah starred, appeared to be the favorite, Michigan kept pushing and making him feel like a unique target. While Colorado garnered some real at- tention late, Michigan did everything the right way to win over Owusu-Boateng, the No. 19 linebacker and No. 188 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. In the middle of the afternoon, sport- ing a traditional Kente cloth honoring his Ghanian roots, Owusu-Boateng put on a Michigan hat live on ESPN in front of a national audience. Linebacker was a big need at the end of the cycle, and Michigan filled it with its top target. "What Michigan can offer for my life after football for sure helped them come out on top," Owusu-Boateng said. "For me, it was about networking, life after football, academics and everything I want to do off the football field. "I can get all of those things at Michi- gan. I can get a national championship at Michigan. I can get a great degree at Michigan. I can network at Michigan. The opportunities there are endless." Michigan lost Top 100 tight end An- drew Olesh to Penn State two days later but its 2025 class remained in the Top 10 thanks to the additions of Young, Mar- shall and Owusu-Boateng. The Wolver- ines also added a complementary piece to the fold after signing day in three-star Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier quarterback Chase Herbstreit. The son of former Ohio State player and current ESPN/ABC college and pro football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Chase will join a Michigan quarterback room in need of depth. "He's a little bit of a late bloomer, who, based on the improvement he showed, appears to be an FBS talent at quarter- back," Power said. "Michigan getting him in the fold certainly helps their quarter- back room and their depth. "In addition to what he showed on the field from a skill-set perspective, he's highly competitive. I think he'll push that room. He's dialed in when it comes to X's and O's." WHAT'S NEXT? Michigan is still in the mix with On300 Philadelphia Imhotep Charter's Zahir Mathis and is set to get him in for a visit. Mathis, the No. 16 edge and No. 119 over- all prospect nationally, is a tall, long pass rusher with a ton of upside. The Wolverines would love to add the ex-Ohio State commit to the fold during February's late signing period. But an even bigger fish is still in the water — five-star Alabama offensive tackle com- mit Ty Haywood, the No. 22 player and No. 5 offensive tackle in the country. Like with Underwood, Michigan is putting together an enticing NIL package for Haywood and will look to host him for a visit in January. Michigan's efforts have been so strong that Haywood opted not to sign with Alabama, a school he grew up rooting for, in the early period. Michigan's pitch has remained simple. "Basically, that they would have a bet- ter opportunity for me," Haywood said. Michigan may be willing to do more than Alabama on the NIL front, but the Wolverines can also offer high-end of- fensive line development. Head coach Moore was the former of- fensive line coach and led the Wolverines to back-to-back Joe Moore Awards in 2021 and 2022. That's something that has moved the needle for Haywood. "It's pretty good," he said. "All of their offensive linemen have been recruited to the NFL. All their O-line is getting drafted." And yes, Underwood is recruiting Haywood to Ann Arbor. "I was like 'Wow,'" Haywood said. "I never thought that would even be a buzz. He's trying to recruit me. He's basically saying. 'That's the move.'" Michigan currently has the No. 9 ranked class in the country, per the On3 Industry team recruiting rankings. Land- ing Mathis and an elite blue-chipper like Haywood could put the Wolverines in contention for a Top 5 class — something that hasn't been done at U-M since the 2017 cycle. ❏ Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick High's Nate Marshall, the No. 7 defensive lineman and No. 59 overall pros- pect in the On3 Industry Ranking, flipped from Michigan to Auburn last fall and back again to U-M in early December. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND Despite a late push by Colorado and family ties to Notre Dame, IMG Academy's Nathanial Owusu-Boateng picked Michigan on sign- ing day. The native of Hyattsville, Md., is the No. 19 linebacker and No. 188 overall pros- pect in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND