The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK ley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh late this cy- cle. That means the pressure is on U-M tight ends coach Steve Casula to land a premier playmaker at the position in 2026. Harris, the No. 4 tight end and No. 73 overall prospect nationally, is a true receiving tight end at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and would be the perfect replacement for Olesh. Harris recently released a top-six list of BYU, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Or- egon and Utah. The Wolverines hosted Harris for the first time in the summer and got him back on campus for a game- day visit in the fall. Michigan obviously has a ton to sell when it comes to tight end production and utilization. TE MATT LUDWIG Billings (Mont.) West Harris isn't the only viable Olesh re- placement on the board early on. Ludwig, the No. 16 athlete and No. 214 overall re- cruit nationally, is another highly touted tight end whom Michigan is pushing hard for. U-M went into a rural state out West a few years ago and struck gold with star tight end Colston Loveland in Idaho. The Wolverines are now looking to do the same with Ludwig. Casula saw him in person this fall, and two have been in constant contact throughout the year. Ludwig made his first visit to Michi- gan this summer and returned for an- other visit this fall. Along with Michi- gan, Ludwig is also looking hard at Georgia, Nebraska, Penn State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and others. OL JACKSON CANTWELL Nixa (Mo.) High Ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 1 overall prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, Cantwell is the biggest fish along the offensive line and would be a massive add for the Wolverines, especially just a cycle after landing five-star Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest offensive tackle Andrew Babalola. At 6-foot-7½, 305 pounds, Cantwell is a true towering tackle with the potential to make an early impact in the trenches. U-M head coach Sherrone Moore, who led the Wolverines to back-to-back Joe Moore Awards as an offensive line coach, will personally be involved in this re- cruitment. His background at the posi- tion should give U-M a boost. Michigan hosted Cantwell for his first visit this December and is in the mix along with Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others. DL/EDGE MCHALE BLADE Chicago Simeon No t re Da m e i s co n s i d e re d t h e early favorite for Blade, a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder. However, Michigan hosted him for back-to-back visits this fall and is quickly building up some momentum in this recruitment. Blade, the No. 9 defensive lineman and No. 104 overall player nationally, is a versatile prospect in the trenches who best projects as a pass rusher in the Wolverines' scheme. Moore is the former area recruiter in Chicago and has strong ties to those around Blade's recruitment. Blade also plays for the same high school coach, Sinque Turner, as current U-M receiver I'Marion Stewart. This heated Michigan- Notre Dame recruiting battle will likely be determined on official visits this offseason. CB ELBERT HILL Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban Hill, the No. 1 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, is a speedy cover corner who has established himself as a five-star level recruit for next cycle (currently rated a five-star by Rivals and ESPN, and a high four-star by On3 and 247 Sports). Hill notched an early offer from Michigan, but dialogue was limited until the summer when secondary coach LaMar Morgan really started to make some headway. Hill made his first visit to U-M in a year this fall and enjoyed his time on campus. While many expect Hill to stay at home and play for Ohio State, Morgan has shown the ability to land blue-chip recruits at the position. Michigan beat- ing Ohio State on the field for the fourth straight year can only help here. CB VICTOR SINGLETON Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic Hill isn't the only top cornerback that Michigan is trying to pull from enemy territory. Singleton, the No. 4 corner- back and No. 36 overall prospect nation- ally, is also a blue-chipper at the position and visited along with Hill this fall. Singleton and Hill actually met at a Michigan camp last year and have be- come close, often talking about teaming up at the next level. Like Hill, Singleton is considered an early Ohio State lean. However, Morgan has been building up a strong relationship with Singleton, who made his way to Ann Arbor three times this calendar year. If any team can beat out Ohio State in this race, it's U-M. ❏ CJ Sadler of Detroit Cass Tech is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Michigan as well as the No. 16 wide receiver and No. 95 over- all prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Nixa (Mo.) High's Jackson Cantwell is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 1 over- all prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. He made his first visit to Michigan this December. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/ON3