The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2025 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan will host 47 On300 re- cruits during the next couple of months, including some of the top pros- pects in Georgia. Deuce Geralds, listed as the No. 72 overall player and No. 5 defensive lineman in the 2026 class per the On3 Industry Ranking, will be on campus soon, and offensive line com- mit Bear McWhorter, the nation's No. 39 interior offensive lineman, will make his first trip to Ann Arbor since his Feb. 28 commitment to U-M. This is a critical stretch of visits for the Wolverines and their recruiting efforts in Georgia. Michigan's staff spent a lot of time in the state during the January evaluation period and has set visits with most of the recruits it checked in with. U-M is continuing to recruit elite prospect Xavier Griffin, the No. 23 overall player and No. 2 linebacker in the country, but the USC commit remains unsure whether he will end up visiting Ann Arbor. McWhorter recently informed The Wolverine that he will spend March 28- 30 on campus. During that three-day stretch, eight On300 recruits plan to visit Michigan. The interior offensive line pledge from Cartersville (Ga.) Cass High al- ready has a list of prospects to reach out to, and he's going to start recruiting for U-M soon. He's locked in with Michi- gan after becoming the program's third commitment of the cycle. McWhorter's decision — picking the Wolverines over Alabama — caught the attention of three-star Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill High pass rusher Katrell Webb, the nation's No. 24 edge per Ri- vals. "That's my guy," Webb said. Now, they're scheduled to visit U-M at the same time. Webb previously locked in a March 29 trip to campus. Michigan likes the three-star edge rusher, and the coveted recruit from Georgia is interested in setting up an official visit with the program. McWhorter has not locked in his OV yet but plans on shaping his schedule around whatever will benefit the Wol- verines' recruiting efforts. "We'll talk about it when I go up later this month," McWhorter said. "I'll come whenever they want me to or helps them most." Michigan will also welcome Ger- alds, Webb's teammate, to campus that weekend. Defensive line coach Lou Es- posito visited Collins Hill in January, showed a lot of love and ended up lock- ing in unofficial visits with both heavily recruited defensive linemen. Ole Miss and Ohio State look like the top contenders for Geralds, but he's put together a nationwide spring visit schedule that includes a March 28-29 trip to Ann Arbor. "I would like to learn what their phi- losophy is as a staff, team and a D-line," Geralds said. "It is important to see what their day to day looks like, and what is the plan and approach to get back to the CFP and national title con- tention? I also want to see their plan to develop me as a player and person." In addition to that trio, which com- bines to hold 77 Power Four offers, Michigan will host a top SEC flip target very soon. Four-star 2027 athlete Alex- ander Ward was scheduled to visit the Wolverines March 18 for the first day of spring practice. The Alabama commit is the No. 74 sophomore and the No. 13 athlete in the country. He's looking forward to see- ing the "campus, the environment" and "meeting the coaches and players." Ward remains solid with Alabama and, per a source, is happy with his pledge to the Crimson Tide, but he was planning to be in Ann Arbor alongside his brother — On300 wide receiver Christian Ward — who has named Michigan his leader on multiple occa- sions. The Marietta (Ga.) Walton High sibling duo has also visited Alabama and Georgia Tech this spring. ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Michigan Taking Aim At Georgia Talent Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill standout Deuce Geralds, the No. 72 overall player and No. 5 defensive lineman in the 2026 class per the On3 Industry Ranking, is slated to visit Michigan on March 28-29. PHOTO BY BILLY EMBODY/ON3 2026 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL SIGNEES Name On3 Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Brody Jennings HHHH CB 6-1 185 Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin) Bear McWhorter HHH IOL 6-3 308 Cartersville, Ga. (Cass) Jaylen Pile HHH WR 6-0 178 Dallas (Parish Episcopal School)