The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Hiter and Osborne had the opportunity to share the same backfield at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 2. It could be a sign of things to come for Michigan fans, as Hiter and Osborne both said U-M was at the top of their respec- tive lists during the media day portion of the event. "We can be a 'Sonic and Knuckles' duo," Osborne said. "He has that power as a running back. He can run kids over. It would be great to play with a guy like that. … He's not a man of many words, but he's very cool and humble like me. It's been a joy competing with him and being alongside him." Hiter shared similar sentiments. "It was good to chop it up with him," Hiter said. "We talked when we visited Michigan, and now our bond is growing stronger. It would be a great combination at Michigan. I believe the same thing — it would be like Sonic and Knuckles." Michigan's very own version of Sonic and Knuckles. It sounds like a dream. But it could very well be a reality come signing day. "You might see something in the fu- ture," Osborne said with a laugh. NATION'S NO. 1 RANKED 2026 RECRUIT TALKS MICHIGAN Michigan is once again in the running for the No. 1 overall recruit in America. The Wolverines landed five-star quar- terback Bryce Underwood this cycle and now have their eyes set on five-star 2026 Nixa (Mo.) High offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, who is high on U-M early on. "I like Michigan because they have a lot of good offensive line development," Cantwell said. "They have a history of being a successful team. I like Coach [Grant] Newsome and what he does with the offensive line — at least from what he showed me. Obviously, they have a his- tory of offensive line development under Sherrone Moore." Cantwell made his first visit to Michi- gan in December and was impressed with everything the program had to offer. "It was a fun visit," Cantwell said. "I got to meet the coaches and see all the facili- ties. I talked to the strength coach and the personnel people. I think the campus is pretty nice. It looks like a good place to live. It was an enjoyable visit. I didn't get to see The Big House because I was short on time. I definitely want to do that next time. I will probably be back. Maybe for a spring practice." Newsome, Michigan's offensive line coach, is leading the way in Cantwell's recruitment and is quickly building a re- lationship with the talented tackle. "Coach Newsome is a really smart guy," Cantwell said. "He understands the game really well. He was a successful college football player himself, so he understands what it takes. He seems like a good leader of men and can get guys to be very suc- cessful if they buy into the process." Moore will be personally involved in this recruitment as well. He led Michigan to back-to-back Joe Moore Awards dur- ing his time as offensive line coach and played the position in college. Moore's offensive line background is definitely moving the needle for Cantwell. "Coach Moore has a vision that he wants the offensive line to be the heart and soul of the team," Cantwell said. "Coming from being the offensive line coach, he knows why prioritizing that can be successful long-term. I think that's exactly what he's doing right now — getting his offensive line going, so it can be the best line possible." Michigan's track record of developing offensive linemen is a big reason U-M is on his short list along with programs like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon. "They do a fantastic job," Cantwell said. "They had a younger line this year, but those guys are developing. The ma- jority of them will probably end up going to the league. It's very promising. If you start along the offensive line at a place like Michigan, you probably will end up playing in the NFL. They do a great job of development." A s a t r u e b l u e - c h i p p ro s p e c t , Cantwell is likely to command plenty of NIL during his recruitment. While NIL isn't a huge factor at this point in the process, Cantwell is im- pressed with what Michigan has done in the arena as of late. "It's really interesting," he said. "A lot of important people have con- nections to that program. I've actu- ally talked to people from Barstool like [former Michigan tackle] Taylor Lewan. With the way college football works, you can have an advantage with NIL, and it sounds like they did with this recruiting class. I'm still learning more about it and have the Rosenhaus agency representing me." ❏ 2026 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS Name Rating* Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Brody Jennings HHHH CB 6-1 175 Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin) Jaylen Pile HHH WR 6-0 178 Southlake, Texas (Parish Episcopal) * On3 player ratings as of Jan. 11 Five-star Nixa (Mo.) High offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2026, is high on Michigan early on in his recruitment. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/ON3