The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL T ristan Dare received his Michigan offer June 4 and, around the same time, the three-star offensive lineman out of Southlake (Texas) Carroll High reached out to offensive line coach Grant Newsome and asked if he could stop by campus soon. Just about 24 hours later, the Wolver- ines' offensive line coach already had a visit plan put together. That level of organization and detail appealed to Dare and, after traveling to U-M for his first unofficial visit, he found his collegiate home and his future position coach. "He goes about his business well, and I really like his personality and the way he coaches," Dare told The Wolverine after announcing his commitment. "I think I'd fit right in with him." His father, Trevor, heaped praise on the Wolverines' culture. Led by head coach Sherrone Moore, he could feel a positive atmosphere around U-M throughout their first trip to campus. Trevor usually waits until the family re- turns home to talk to his son about a visit, giving him time to process the trip and form his own opinions, but the stop in Ann Arbor was unique. "When we drove back to the Detroit airport after that visit, there was some- thing different," Trevor said. "I let him communicate to me what he saw, and I agreed with him just from a parent's perspective." Dare called Newsome a couple of weeks before his announcement to tell him the good news. With more than a year until his class of 2027 signing day, the heavily recruited junior knew where he wanted to play his college football. "He was super excited, and he was pumped up," Dare said. "It was a fun conversation." Penn State, Ohio State, Nebraska and Washington are just a few of the other schools that hosted the newest Wol- verine commit this summer. He went into his Michigan visit with no plans to make an early decision. Dare thought he would spend this fall taking game day visits with his recruitment still open. Everything changed after he traveled to Ann Arbor in June 14. He left campus that day, took trips to Ohio State and North Carolina, and ended up making up his mind soon after. "It was one of those moments where, when you know, you know," Dare said. "I felt it was the right move to just jump on the ship now rather than wait." His father liked the no-nonsense approach that the Wolverines take to building their program. It matched his son's personality. "It fit him," Trevor said. "He loves the game of football, and they're seri- ous about that, and they're also serious about their academics." He's the second interior offensive line commit of the 2027 class (and second overall) and has already talked to fellow Michigan pledge Louis Esposito a bit. The Wolverines' combination of aca- demics and athletics stood out to him. Dare's offer list blew up this summer to include 26 Power Four schools, but Michigan separated itself from the pack. "What differentiated it from my other visits and why I decided to jump on the ship was that the culture was very iden- tical to Southlake," Dare said. "I caught notice of that, and the culture and the people are really what drove me to make this decision so early." Dare said he will still talk to other col- lege coaches if they reach out, but he only plans on taking trips to Michigan moving forward. Newsome sees him as an interior offensive lineman, and the 6-4, 290-pound U-M pledge believes his combination of athleticism and football IQ equips him well for that role. "I think, just in general, my under- standing of the game is that separating factor," Dare said. He lined up right tackle for Southlake Carroll last year and will return to that role this fall. Dare said he was "just trying to survive" as a sophomore playing for a top-10 prep program in the country. The newest Michigan pledge is ready to show off his offseason improvements and do so while repping the Maize and Blue. "It feels really good now that it is out there officially and I can be part of the Michigan family," Dare said. ❑ Texas Junior Offensive Lineman Tristan Dare Picks Michigan PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: "Carroll is a traditional powerhouse in the Dallas-Fort Worth-area and plays top- level competition. The fact that Tristan Dare not only started but had a ton of success in his first year playing on the offensive line speaks volumes about his upside. He is definitely a prospect who could move up in the rankings this fall. Dare is a really smart kid and a man of many talents. In fact, Dare is a skilled pianist and an accomplished musician. While he hasn't decided on a major, Dare is intrigued by Michigan's Ross School of Business — his father is a businessman. In my opinion, you have to be smart to be a center and command the offensive line. Dare definitely checks that box." AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: "Dare moved from California to Texas as a middle schooler and didn't start playing football until the seventh grade. He actually started out at Grapevine (Texas) Faith, a very small private school, which plays subpar competition. There, Dare played mostly tight end and defensive end. Dare had no issue adjusting to the jump in competition at Carroll or the transition to offensive line. He will only keep getting better this year as he continues to learn the intricacies of the position. There is a lot to like about what Dare can become with time." PLAYER COMPARISON: "Dare spends most of his time at tackle at the high school level. However, he projects best as an athletic, smart center at the next level. Dare shares a lot of the same qualities as Michigan offensive lineman Jake Guarnera, who also started his high school career as a tackle before being recruited by U-M as a center. Guarnera is expected to see some time at guard this season, and Dare could play there as well. Like Guarnera, Dare has an athletic frame with plenty of upside and the ability to command the line." — EJ Holland Dare received scholarship offers from 26 Power Four schools, including Penn State, Nebraska and Ohio State. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND