The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2026 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan wants to land an elite cor- nerback this cycle and locked in on five-star Georgia commit Donte Wright — the No. 8 recruit and No. 2 cornerback in the country per the Rivals Industry Ranking — as one of its top targets. He made a quick trip to Ann Arbor April 16. This visit was a brief one-day stay with the Wolverines, but he was on campus for spring practice and ate dinner with the staff. Oregon is the heavy favorite to flip the Long Beach (Calif.) Poly standout, but Michigan is trying to change that. "My visit is going good, love the staff," Wright told The Wolverine. Wright didn't take a ton of spring visits. He made a trip to Miami at one point, and he has visited Georgia. The Bulldogs are battling to hold on to his commitment, which he made back in June 2025. Michigan stood out with a "loving and welcoming" vibe from the coaching staff. Wright also liked what he heard from U-M's defensive secondary coaches. Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford is his primary recruiter. He hosted another of the top-three corners in the nation the same day as Wright — Joshua Dobson of Cornelius, N.C. (No. 3 CB and No. 9 overall prospect nationally) — and Mich- igan solidified itself as a contender for an elite defender. "I had them in my top four, and they will still be there," Wright said. "Love Coach Whitt and the defensive staff's plan for me." The Wolverines and Wright locked in a June 12 official visit earlier this spring. He said that trip remains on the sched- ule. UCLA leads off his OV slate May 15, followed by Georgia May 29 and Miami June 5. Oregon wraps things up June 19. Michigan worked hard to get him on campus before his official visit, setting the stage for a big push this summer. Wright, the top-ranked recruit in Cali- fornia, explained his expectations for this trip and how the actual experience measured up to that. "I expected it to be real cold, and the staff to be too serious," Wright said. "But overall, the staff was laid back, coached hard but also had fun with it. You can tell the group of guys love play- ing for this staff." The Bulldogs will have a chance to build momentum with the five-star defensive back this weekend. His of- ficial visits begin in almost exactly one month, and we'll see if anyone can close the gap on Oregon. Michigan left a posi- tive impression this week. "Love the staff and enjoyed the visit outside of the weather," Wright said. "I'll be back for my OV." ELITE DL MARCUS FAKATOU GOES IN DEPTH ON MICHIGAN AND HIS TIMELINE Michigan remains a top-three school for Marcus Fakatou of Chatsworth, Ca- lif., the No. 27 player and No. 2 defen- sive lineman in the land. The Wolver- ines are battling Oregon, Ohio State and a host of other programs trying to stay in contention for the elite defensive ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING Michigan Hosts Five-Star Georgia Cornerback Commit Donte Wright Long Beach (Calif.) Poly's Donte Wright, a Georgia commit and the No. 2 cornerback in the nation, is being pursued heavily by Oregon and Michigan. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/RIVALS