The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 49 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING staff family. He remains solid with the Big Ten program and raved about their coaching staff, but other schools are giving him plenty to think about. "I think they know how I feel about them," Lopati said. "With these heavy- hitter schools, these are like dream schools, I guess you could say. Every kid wants to go to a Michigan, so this is a huge offer." Lopati will not rush into any deci- sions during this surge in his recruit- ment. He's taking everything day by day, viewing the opportunities as bless- ings and talking through the process constantly with his family. The No. 2 recruit in Utah will visit Michigan April 3-5. He doesn't know what to expect going into his first trip to Ann Arbor, but the blue-chip signal-caller does not have many questions for the coaches. Lopati already knows the staff well and just wants to evaluate his fit with the pro- gram. "I'm glad they liked me enough to of- fer me at Michigan, and that was a huge offer," Lopati said. "We have a great re- lationship, and we're still building it." The quarterback explained what he likes about Detmer and Beck — the two Wolverine assistants leading the charge in his recruitment. "Coach Detmer is a calm guy off the field. … He's like a friend ," Lopati said. "But when we get on the field, when you watch him in practices, it's a completely different guy. He gets on people, and that's something I like. "And then Coach Beck, he's just a calm, chill dude. I haven't really seen him much on the field yet, but talking to him in meetings, he's just a family guy." Lopati values his consistently grow- ing relationship with Michigan's staff, and both Notre Dame and Florida caught his attention with offers as well. He will take his time with a decision, and visits could play a critical role in that. "I probably have to get stuff situated with Illinois and take visits or what- ever and then really get it down. But after visits, I should be good," explained Lopati. NIL AGENT TALKS U-M STAFF Latish Kinsler is extremely familiar with Michigan and how the previous staff ran its front office. The principal of Life- Style Sports Agency/The Kinsler Athletic Group represents some of the highest- ranked recruits in the country, including Wolverine early enrollee freshman Travis Johnson. Kinsler visited the Wolverines with Rivals' No. 25 wide receiver nation- ally plenty of times. Michigan also tried to recruit a couple of Kinsler's other clients in the 2026 class. The previous staff built a strong early connection with 2027 Top 100 player Oluwasemilore Olubobola as well. Then, almost the entire coaching staff and front office turned over. Johnson ar- rived on campus in January, and Kinsler said the early months of his time with the Wolverines are going well after a chaotic end to the recruiting process. Raleigh (N.C.) Cardinal Gibbons standout cornerback Xavier Hasan, a Notre Dame commit, grew up as a Wolverines fan and called his recent U-M offer "special." PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS