The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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36 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2025 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan visited Matt Ludwig early this year to watch him play bas- ketball. Fans packed the Billings (Mont.) West High stands for a rivalry matchup against Billings Senior. Ludwig esti- mated 3,000 people stood in the gym that night— a crowd that included most of U-M's offensive staff. Head coach Sherrone Moore, offen- sive coordinator Chip Lindsey, tight ends coach Steve Casula, offensive line coach Grant Newsome and director of player personnel Albert Karschnia all made the trip to Montana. Ludwig is a huge advocate for his school and consistently hypes up Bill- ings West's athletic department. There's probably no better spokesperson to do so. The four-star tight end commit played four sports during his first three years at the school. He appreciated Michigan's effort to watch him play hoops in person. "It was really awesome to see, and it was really awesome for them to come out and see the kind of culture that we have here at Billings West," Ludwig said. "It just really meant a lot to me, knowing that they really care and they're willing to do everything that they can to get out here and bring everyone that they can." Billings West head foot- ball coach Rob Stanton spoke with Moore before the game tipped off, but Moore had to pause their conversation to watch warmups. Ludwig was flying above the rim at 6-4, 250 pounds, showing off the elite athleticism that makes him the No. 5 tight end in the country per Rivals. He stars on the basketball court, posts impressive times on the track as a sprinter, throws the shot put and discus, and caught 53 passes for 822 yards as a junior on the grid- iron. Ludwig even wrestled early in his high school career. Ludwig believes rebounding helps his ability to high-point a football. He equated route run- ning to driving into the paint. Boxing out helps him maintain his physical edge, even though he pointed out that lots of basketball play- ers don't want to play that way. "I wasn't the best shooter, but if a dunk was needed, it was getting thrown down," Ludwig said. "It is hard staying in a game and not fouling out … or get- ting a tech for being a little too physical. I was a little on the rough side but could definitely go up and get a board when needed. And if the ball is in the air, it's going to be mine. That's for sure." His head basketball coach, Kelly Dar- ragh called Ludwig "a dream" to coach and said the Michigan commit could play college basketball if he wanted to. "I don't necessarily look at Matt as a football player," Darragh said. "He's just an unbelievable athlete. For basketball, he's kind of a cheat code. There were a couple times where we'd get in trouble, and I'd just say throw it up by the rim, and he'll go get it." Stanton coaches Billings West's foot- ball and track teams. He prefers for his athletes to play multiple sports, and Ludwig embraced that. He said Ludwig wakes up early just to down an eight-egg omelet so he can maintain his weight. "He's always had his ducks in a row," Stanton said. "We really haven't had to do much fine-tuning. It's pretty much already there." Ludwig ran a 11.12 100-meter dash this spring. He posted throws of 53 feet, 2 inches in the shot put and 172 feet, 5 inches in the discus. He also anchors his school's 4x100 relay team. Stanton put him there, not because he's the fastest, but because he's the most competitive. The speed training obviously helps Ludwig on the football field, but he also mentioned how weight throwing gave him an increased understanding of his own body and "connective balance." Even the smallest technical error can make a big difference. Casula told Stanton that Michigan views Ludwig as the No. 1 tight end in the country. He visited Billings West this spring, shortly before Rivals' No. 91 over- all recruit in the 2026 class publicly pledged to the Wol- verines. Ludwig will join the U-M program next year, and he credits basketball and track with helping him get to this point as a football star. "I think that being a multi- sport athlete is the most im- portant part of my career," Ludwig said. ❑ Elite Montana Tight End Matt Ludwig Goes Blue PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: He's a top-five tight end for Rivals, so we think really highly of him. I'm looking forward to continuing to evaluate him. I know he's continued to get bigger while also getting faster, which you always like to see. Tight end is really a jumbo-athlete position, and Matt Ludwig is the definition of a jumbo athlete as a high school football player and prospect. When you turn on the film, he's the best athlete on the field at all times. He has a very well-rounded skill set and can do a little bit of everything. When you're projecting him as a tight end long term, you're looking at a guy who is dangerous after the catch. I think he's going to be one who is going to pick up a lot of yardage, fight through contact, break tackles and just be a physical player. I could see him turning into a strong blocker as well with just continued development there. — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Ludwig looks dominant against inferior competition on tape, but he doesn't exactly have the total production you would expect — his junior stats are a bit underwhelming. It would be nice to see Ludwig's flashes turn into consistency as a senior considering he's head and shoulders above those he plays against on Friday nights. He will have to adjust from poor competition to Big Ten play in quick fashion as the expectation is for him to play early in Ann Arbor. — The Wolverine recruiting analyst EJ Holland PLAYER COMPARISON: Former NFL second-round pick and Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave. — Power Ludwig, Rivals' No. 5 tight end and No. 91 overall, player nationally, pulled down 53 passes for 822 yards in his junior season at Billings (Mont.) West. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL