The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: "Recarder Kitchen is a big defensive end. He's a guy who we've known about for a while in the cycle. He popped early on. He has really good stature. He's filled out. He's not the longest for his height. But I still think he has the size you covet on the edge in the Big Ten. … He's definitely one of the top in-state prospects in what looks to be a pretty strong cycle in Michigan in the 2027 class. It was good for the Wolverines to get him in the boat early on." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: "I think he had a better junior season than his sophomore season, so he's shown continued encouraging improvement. He has some physicality about him. He has the size you like. He can make some plays behind the line of scrimmage. You want to see him continue honing the technical side of the game and continuing to play with good effort. You maybe want to see more production from him. But there are a lot of tools to work with." — Power PLAYER COMPARISON: His imposing frame and positional versatility reminds us of 2026 four-star Michigan edge rusher signee McHale Blade. — Ethan McDowell BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan always looked like the team to beat for Recarder Kitchen. The Wolverines offered the Muskegon (Mich.) High star early, quickly priori- tized him and continued to build that relationship until the Rivals300 pass- rusher pledged to U-M Nov. 30. After visiting Ann Arbor twice in the fall, the blue-chip, in-state junior in the 2027 class didn't feel the need to extend his recruitment any longer. Kitchen picked Michigan over offers from USC, Notre Dame, Penn State and many oth- ers. His commitment to the Wolverines remains solid despite Michigan's recent decision to fire Sherrone Moore. "It sucks he got fired, but I'm still go- ing to be a Wolverine no matter what," Kitchen told Rivals' Steve Wiltfong shortly after the news broke. Kitchen sat at the top of the Wolver- ines' edge board for a long time. Michi- gan extended an offer in September 2024. He kept his recruitment quiet, but U-M always seemed to sit in the top tier for the No. 126 overall recruit in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Penn State was the only other known visit destination for Kitchen this fall. "I love Michigan," Kitchen noted in August. He's the No. 19 junior edge rusher in the country and just wrapped up a season that included all-conference, all-region and Division 2 all-state honors. The 6-5, 240-pound Wolverine commit is also the No. 2 recruit in the state of Michigan. Kitchen checked out schools like Rut- gers and Wisconsin during his recruit- ment, keeping a Big Ten focus while pil- ing up an elite offer list. During a busy spring visit tour, a trip to Ann Arbor left a lasting impression. "We went to a lot of colleges and, when we got there, it was different," Kitchen said. "Everybody was huge. They were really hitting out there, re- ally putting in work, and it was just different." Defensive line coach Lou Esposito played a significant role in Kitchen's decision-making process as his primary recruiter. The program's history of NFL development and prestige appeals to him. "It's a big college," Kitchen told Wilt- fong. "A lot of people have been through there. There are people in the league from there, and it's a great place." Kitchen went through this junior season trying to remain completely fo- cused on the season as a captain for Muskegon. Michigan kept in touch, forged a strong connection with the top in-state target, and he decided to lock in an early commitment with the Wolverines. He made his announcement one day after spending Nov. 29 in Ann Arbor watching U-M face off against Ohio State. Kitchen watched pregame warmups from the sidelines with a cou- ple high school teammates, smiling and laughing as the program prepared for the rivalry clash. "The relationship, the tradition and the bond," Kitchen said to Wiltfong. "They're the ones doing the main thing I'm looking for in a college which is re- lationships. "It's more than football. I want to know who's going to build me as a man. They're always talking to me and check- ing up on stuff outside of football." The blue-chip pass rusher is the fourth commit of the 2027 class and the first defensive pledge. He joins Top 100 quarterback Peter Bourque, three- star offensive lineman Tristan Dare and three-star offensive lineman Louis Es- posito in the foundation of next year's recruiting cycle. ❑ Top 2027 Edge Rusher Recarder Kitchen To Stay In State Kitchen, a four-star edge rusher from Muskegon High, is rated as the No. 2 player in the state of Michigan in the junior class. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND ❱ Kitchen "The relationship, the tradition and the bond. … It's more than football. I want to know who's going to build me as a man. They're always talking to me and checking up on stuff outside of football."