The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2026 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M i c h i ga n w i d e re c e ive rs coach Micah Simon sat with Rivals Top 100 player Quentin Burrell and his family for three hours in January. It was the beginning of the winter evaluation period, and the new Wolverine coaching staff wanted to attack the Windy City quickly. Simon's energy and confidence per- meated their conversation. Burrell was already strongly considering the Wolverines under the old staff, and this meeting with the new coach kept the program in the mix. He's one of many coveted Chicagoland prospects intrigued by this new era of Michigan football. "It was a good conversation about life and football," Burrell said. "We all had a good time." Burrell met with Simon Jan. 15. Michi- gan made his top schools list a month later and locked in an unofficial visit for April 2 with the Rivals Industry Rank- ing's No. 77 recruit and No. 15 wide re- ceiver in the country. Elsewhere in Chi- cago, the Wolverines met with a couple of his Mount Carmel teammates. Tavares Harrington, the No. 10 safety and No. 110 player nationally, hosted safeties coach Tyler Stockton on an in-home visit. Linebackers coach Alex Whittingham saw Roman Igwebuike, the No. 143 player and No. 10 linebacker in the country, at his home as well. The Wolverines moved fast to start rebuilding relationships with prospects who already held interest in the program like Burrell. And for Harrington and Ig- webuike, the program almost immedi- ately improved its standing after U-M couldn't get them on campus last year. "They're going to produce players, they're going to have big-time players, they're going to play in the best games, so they're still high up," Harrington said. He will spend March 19-21 with the Wolverines, and they will try to catch up to Alabama and Georgia at the top of his recruitment. Igwebuike locked in a March 28 unofficial visit, per Rivals' Allen Trieu, and his recruitment feels pretty open. REBUILDING U-M'S STRONG CHICAGO PRESENCE In addition to those three in-home visits, former defensive line coach Lou Esposito previously stopped by Mount Carmel to meet with the staff there and their absolutely loaded roster that in- cludes the aforementioned trio of blue- chip prospects. He's beloved in that building. Hiring Larry Black to coach the de- fensive tackles after Esposito's depar- ture to the NFL helped Michigan keep those positive vibes going. Black landed two commitments out of Mount Carmel while at Vanderbilt. Only one of them ended up signing, but he still has a strong connection to their staff. "He's great," Mount Carmel head coach Jordan Lynch told The Wolverine. "Ever since Vanderbilt started recruiting the Chicago area, he's done a really good job. He's a great person to be around, great with the kids and a high-level foot- ball coach. It's a great hire by Michigan." Brayden Parks, the nation's No. 171 player and No. 17 defensive tackle, in- cluded Michigan among his top eight schools after connecting well with the new coaches. Michigan sent head coach Kyle Whittingham, defensive coordina- tor Jay Hill and a few other coaches to Chicago Brother Rice to see Parks and his parents. "It was an amazing conversation," Parks said. "We had a great time." The Wolverines fought hard to remain in contention for the coveted defensive tackle over the past year. That meeting at Brother Rice helped, and hiring Black ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING THE BLUEPRINT Michigan Wants To Start A Recruiting Surge In Chicago Tavares Harrington, the No. 10 safety and No. 110 player nationally according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, is one of three Chicago Mount Carmel players holding scholarship offers from Michigan. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL