The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2025 Dakota Guerrant started his fall with trips to Ohio State, Tennessee, Miami and Penn State. He's the No. 22 overall recruit in the 2027 class, and the Harper Woods (Mich.) star wants to check out his options from coast to coast this year. Michigan looms as an in-state team and, once he decided he did not want to visit North Carolina as originally planned, Guerrant made the trip to Ann Arbor to watch the Wolver- ines defeat Wisconsin during homecoming weekend. "I've always got to keep the hometown school in the mix," Guerrant said before the visit. "Nobody's going to love you like your hometown school." The nation's fifth-ranked receiver went into the visit wanting to see if the Wolverines would throw the ball "a little better this week." He watched a couple of Michigan games this year, noted the offensive highs and lows, and hoped that he'd see Bryce Underwood put on a show Saturday. Underwood ended up throwing for 270 yards, an early career high for the true fresh- man, and 1 touchdown. The first-year phenom grew up with Guerrant. They know each other really well, and the Michigan target thinks extremely highly of the skilled signal-caller. "Bryce is elite, the best player in the world," Guerrant said. "I can't wait to play with him, if I do." Guerrant has been one of the nation's top prospects for years at this point, but his re- cruitment is really heating up as schools start to turn their focus to the 2027 class. He re- ceives texts from as many as five coaches from one school these days. The in-state receiver is enjoying the recruit- ing process. He has trips planned to Oregon and Texas A&M for later this fall before he re- turns to Michigan at least once in November. The Wolverines remain in the top tier of his recruitment. " They're still top five," Guerrant said. "They're recruiting me pretty good for the most part." Guerrant really appreciates how current players take time out of their game days to spend time with him on these visits. He specif- ically mentioned Underwood and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as two players who are building a connection with him. "The players treat you like family," Guerrant said. "They take you in. They just treat you like you are a regular guy. They've been like a big brother to me." Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy also has built a familial connection with Guer- rant. He has deep ties to the Detroit Metro area and is putting a ton of time into building his bond with the No. 1 in-state recruit. "He's low-key, like an uncle kinda, sorta," Guerrant said. "He just treats me like family and tells me he's not going to let me leave." Guerrant might visit the Wolverines again for the Purdue game, but he definitely plans on attending the Ohio State showdown if his high school playoff schedule allows for that. Both schools in The Game sit in strong conten- tion for the gifted receiver. He outlined what he wants to see from the rivalry matchup. "I want to see Michigan come out with the win, see if they're going to beat them because I think Ohio State is supposed to win that game," Guerrant said. "If they beat them this year, it just shows that they just can't lose to Ohio State." — Ethan McDowell Quentin Burrell spent plenty of time at Michigan during the past few years to see his sister Kali, but a spontaneous stop at Schem- bechler Hall recently was just his second true recruiting visit with the Wolverines. The Rivals Top 100 wide receiver out of Chicago's Mount Carmel High made the quick trip up to U-M Sept. 21 to watch his older sib- ling play her senior day game for Michigan's women's soccer program. He ended up mak- ing a quick stop at the football facility as well. "It was a good experience," Burrell said. "I got to take a good amount of my family up there. They were really nice in letting us get in there for that short time on short notice. It was very enjoyable." Michigan's staff took Burrell and his family on a facilities tour, and then the nation's No. 41 overall recruit met with wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy and head coach Sherrone Moore. His whole family packed into Moore's office for a photo. Burrell has only been around the Wolver- ine football program a couple of times, but he planned on returning to campus for the home game against Washington. He enjoyed the welcoming vibe around the program dur- ing the previous trip. "The hospitality, the life-after-football as- pect — they just made it feel like home," Burrell said. He spent some quality time with Bellamy during this visit. They already have a strong connection from their conversations over the phone, but this visit gave them a chance to sit down and go over some of Burrell's film. "We were looking at my game," Burrell said. "He was trying to see if I knew the game and the coverages and all that. He made me explain my game to him, just to see my un- derstanding of it." Burrell is the No. 9 wide receiver in the country and played a critical role in Mount Carmel's 4-0 start to the year. The elite pass catcher said he's doing a good job playing with both pace and speed. Michigan was the first program to offer Burrell early this year. He appreciates Bel- lamy's approach to his recruitment. "He checks up on me. It seems like he's very invested in me and wants the best for me," Burrell said. "We talk a good amount. When I go up there, it's not awkward to talk to him. I feel like we just have a good relationship." Even before Michigan started showing in- terest in the 6-foot-2 receiver, he already knew the university well thanks to his sister. Going into his Oct. 18 visit to Ann Arbor, he wanted to experience U-M for himself, keep- ing a close eye on the Wolverines' pregame routine, how the staff coaches during the game and the overall fan atmosphere around The Big House. Thanks to his sister, Burrell already has a positive impression of life at the university as a student-athlete. "She tells me stories about her going out with her friends, hanging out with her friends, the class environments, just how it's like a new home and the pride they have to be a Michigan student," Burrell said. Earlier this fall, he made trips to Miami and Notre Dame. In addition to the planned visit to Michigan for the Washington game, the coveted receiver is also considering trips to Arizona State, Missouri and Tennessee. — Ethan McDowell Elite In-State WR Dakota Guerrant In High Demand Top WR Quentin Burrell Feels At Home During Surprise U-M Visit ❱ PREP PROFILES ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Harper Woods High Harper Woods, Mich. Class: 2027 Position: Wide receiver Ht.: 6-1.5 • Wt.: 200 Rivals Rankings: No. 22 overall, No. 5 receiver nationally, No. 1 in Michigan ❱ Dakota Guerrant ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Mount Carmel Chicago Class: 2027 Position: Wide receiver Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 195 Rivals Rankings: No. 41 overall, No. 9 receiver nationally, No. 2 in Illinois ❱ Quentin Burrell