The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 57 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING This trip gave him the chance to spend more time with head coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordi- nator Jay Hill. Linebackers coach Alex Whittingham is his primary recruiter, and they have a very strong relation- ship. "Coach Alex is my guy, and it was great just bonding with him, going throughout the day with him," Hauser said. "He had lots of time to conversate with my dad. My dad and him got to know each other on a deeper level." Michigan reaches out to him con- stantly, texting, FaceTiming and also t ry i n g to b u i l d co n n e c t i o n s w i t h his parents, sister and grandmother. Hauser said he can tell the staff wants to show him they care about him be- yond just football. He feels like a priority for the Wol- verines, and the linebacker went into this visit with high expectations. Turns out, the trip solidified U-M as the team to beat. "You see The Big House on TV, all the campus tours on YouTube and stuff, but in person, it's just a whole other level of just how amazing everything truly is," he said. Hauser moves all over Buford's de- fense as a 6-2, 190-pound playmaker. Michigan sees him playing multiple linebacker spots in Ann Arbor. Alex Whittingham told the rising athlete that he loves his versatility and coached him up on some things he can improve. Hauser also enjoyed the chance to see him coach during practice. The priority linebacker will return to campus June 19 with his parents and sister. That will be a big visit because it will be his mother's first chance to see the school. Hauser said his commit- ment timeline remains up in the air. "I'm always constantly praying about my decision," Hauser said. "When the time is right, I'll make the best deci- sion for the rest of my life. I've talked to the staff multiple times about my timeline. They seem comfortable with it. I've planned on committing, maybe, in June, but whenever God tells me it's go-time, we'll make that decision." He already has a few official visits locked in, but he didn't rule out a deci- sion before those trips. "It's definitely a possibility, just something I'm going to take into con- sideration and take a long time to think about it," Hauser said. U-M CONTINUES PUSH FOR IRISH CB COMMIT ACE ALSTON Ace Alston made his mind up early. He leaned on his faith, his parents and his agent and decided Notre Dame was the right school for him. That has not stopped other programs from pushing to flip the Top 100 cornerback. Michigan's new staff made sure Alston knew the program wanted him almost immediately after they arrived in Ann Arbor. The 5-11, 175-pound junior is the No. 72 recruit and No. 11 corner- back in the Rivals Top 100, and he is one of the most coveted defensive backs in the country. Alston still is committed to his pledge for the Irish. "That was a great move for me, and I think I still made a great decision," Alston said. The Wolverine visited Alston at Cin- cinnati Anderson High the day after he had a weekend visit with Notre Dame. He emphasized that he's still completely solid with the program. Michigan, though, has been trying to get into the mix for a while. Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford visited him in January. They established the foundation for a growing relation- ship that day. Alston knows the value of relationship building even as he main- tains his commitment, and he keeps in touch with the Wolverines. "He watched my film, and he saw I was a great player, and he also came down to see me and got to know me as a person," Alston said. "I feel like he was impressed by that, and then I was im- pressed by him just on a personal level. We just both decided to stay in contact and keep building this thing." The elite cornerback said Gilford reaches out "very often." During their first meeting, he outlined where he sees Alston fitting into the defense and ex- plained that he's a priority target for Michigan. "He said I'm one of the guys that he had to get down and come see. I re- spect that from him," Alston said. "And I feel like we started to build a real good relationship and we'll just take it from there." Alston's family also left their con- versation with a high opinion of the Michigan assistant. His knowledge of the game stood out to the coveted cor- nerback. "I think my mom and my pops felt real good about him," Alston said. "He's a coach that shoots it to you straight, and then he also has that knowledge to back it up." The No. 4 prospect in Ohio said there aren't any particularly pressing questions about the Wolverines that he needs to answer right now. Alston visited U-M twice last year early on in his recruitment. His connection to the program remains intact. "Michigan is a powerhouse school, good with both worlds," Alston said. "You've got good education, and you've got good football too. I feel like you know it's a great school for sure. That's why I'm just keeping a relationship with Coach Gilford and continuing to stay in contact with him." A few days after his conversation with The Wolverine, Rivals reported that Alston visited Florida. Michigan will continue to try and get him on campus. Alston shared his thoughts on a poten- tial trip to Michigan. "Right now, we're not talking about any of that," Alston said. "Me, my mom, my pops and my agent, we're locked in with Notre Dame, so I don't know what we're doing so far. We're just talking." ❑ Michigan's 2027 Commitments Player Rating* Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School Kamden Lopati HHHH QB 6-2 225 West Valley City (Utah) West Recarder Kitchen HHHH EDGE 6-5 240 Muskegon (Mich.) High Darrell Mattison HHH S 6-0 160 Chicago Morgan Park Sidney Rouleau HHH IOL 6-5 240 Gatineau, Quebec / The Brook Hill School (Texas] Louis Esposito HHH IOL 6-6 290 Saline (Mich.) High Maxwell Miles HHH S 6-2 195 Las Vegas Centennial * Rivals player ratings as of April 21