The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL B ear McWhorter's parents named him after an Alabama football legend. He grew up going to games in Tuscaloosa and lives way closer to the Crimson Tide compared to Michigan. When his commitment day arrived, the coveted offensive lineman from Cartersville (Ga.) Cass High picked the Wolverines over Alabama, Florida and 28 other Power Four scholarship offers. Mc- Whorter has been a national recruit for years, and the On3 Industry Ranking con- siders him the No. 442 recruit nationally and No. 39 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class. However, ESPN lists him No. 5 among interior linemen and No. 175 overall in the class of 2026. He visited Michigan four times, as many as any other school, and felt ready to decide on a college well before sign- ing day or even official visit season. "I think I've seen everything I need to see on visits. Eventually, I'll just feel something in my heart and know this is where I'm supposed to be at," Mc- Whorter said a few weeks before making his commitment. He will take one official visit — a trip to Michigan later this year. His recruit- ment was a very close battle between 'Bama and U-M, and he visited both in January. Those meetings with each staff — plus a deluge of calls and texts from the Wolverine coaches in the days leading up to the decision — impacted his picking Michigan. "Everyone that reps that block M is very proud of it, and it goes a long way," McWhorter told On3. "Michigan is an amazing place. Seeing what the team looks like lifting together showed me a lot. I love how they work together and how they love each other. That made me want to be a part of it." Michigan hosted him for the first time more than two years ago and started laying the foundation for a surge up to the top of the lineman's recruitment. McWhorter had committed to Arkansas at one point but opened up his recruit- ment in June 2024. Less than a month later, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore offered the future commit and began building a relationship from there. Offensive line coach Grant Newsome is McWhorter's primary recruiter and visited him in Georgia twice in January. The Wolverine staff built a strong connection with the lineman and his family that continued into the final days leading up to his Feb. 28 commitment. "They've been extremely consistent," Bear's father, Josh McWhorter, said the day before the announcement. "We have heard from multiple people from the University of Michigan every single day. My wife even mentioned, a few weeks back, she got a phone call from one of the coaches at Michigan and she said, 'I get a lot of texts, but that's the first time anybody's ever called me.'" Yes, the McWhorters are Alabama fans, but they built up an impressive comfort level with the Michigan pro- gram and its staff. Bear's father stressed on multiple occasions how close this decision was despite a wave of predic- tions that Alabama would be the choice. "They have done everything right and by the book. You name it, it's been great," Josh said in the weeks leading up to the decision. "I don't know what else to say, other than the fact that they are right in the thick of things." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named McWhorter to its All-State first team after a dominant junior season for the mauling interior offensive line pros- pect. Michigan is recruiting him to play guard, but the 6-foot-3, 308-pound Wolverine commit has experience play- ing all five spots along the line. He's the first offensive line pledge of the 2026 class and looks forward to joining a decorated tradition in the trenches in Ann Arbor. "The players are a lot like me, the vibe is awesome up there, and the guys in the program are guys I am ready to go to war with every day," McWhorter said. "I love the people, and it is an environment I feel I can thrive in." ❑ OL Bear McWhorter Spurns Childhood Favorite Team For Michigan PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: "Bear McWhorter is a physical, competitive offensive line prospect who has really shown encouraging improvement over the last couple of years. I actually had a chance to see him live over the years at regional camps. "Particularly in the past year, he's made some strides. I think he's moving the best that we've seen him move. When you turn on the film, he's playing his best football to this point. "He's competitive, physical, works to finish blocks and just plays hard for four quarters." AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: "He's not the longest prospect. He does offset that with his physicality and play style. He's the son of a coach, so I think he'll come in with a fairly high knowledge of X's and O's." PLAYER COMPARISON: "McWhorter's physical traits and play personality remind us of [former Rimington Trophy winner and All-SEC Auburn lineman] Reese Dismukes at the same stage. Both were chippy, aggressive center prospects." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power McWhorter, who was named for legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant and grew up rooting for the Crimson Tide, announced his commitment to Michigan on Feb. 28. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/ON3