The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING tion to the coaching staff will be the No. 1 deciding factor in his decision-making process. He spoke extremely highly of his relationship with Harding. "I love Coach Harding," Fano said. "I love the way he coaches. It's all busi- ness. He'll coach you hard on the field and just get at you and then, off the field, he'll love you like his own son." BYU and Utah hosted Fano this spring. Team culture and the environ- ment around the locker room are im- portant to him at this early stage of his recruitment. Development is also key. In some ways, his connection to Michigan is just beginning, but the Wol- verines also have bonds with the line- man that are stronger than just about any other school. Fano was excited to receive the U-M offer. "I was really, really happy," he said. "I didn't know if I was going to get it sooner or later, but I was really hoping it would happen." IN-STATE ATHLETE GIDEON GASH KEEPS DOOR OPEN FOR MICHIGAN Gideon Gash watched three of his brothers go through the recruiting pro- cess already. Two of them went to Mich- igan State and the third picked Michi- gan. Over the past year, he emerged as a truly national recruit, and he's starting to narrow down his own decision-mak- ing process. His brother Samson, a former four- star receiver who picked the Spartans, urges him to remain patient. Gash said the spot he's in now is a dream and a blessing but also stressful. The No. 61 recruit (and No. 3 athlete) in the country from Detroit Catholic Central outlined what's important in his decision-mak- ing process. "I just look for the culture there, and that's super important at Catholic Cen- tral, too," Gash said. Texas Tech, Alabama and Oklahoma have emerged as top contenders for the No. 3 recruit in Michigan and recently locked in summer official visits. LSU is close to scheduling an OV as well. Those schools showed a lot of love early on and remained persistent, and that helped separate them from his long offer list. Michigan and Michigan State con- tinue to push, and he remains in touch with the in-state schools. The Wol- verines haven't played much of a role in his recruitment until recently. That changed around the same time U-M sent five coaches to his school to meet with him and let the elite in-state re- cruit know he's wanted in Ann Arbor. "We're just trying to rebuild right now," Gash said. "The coaches are reaching out every day. They're right down the road. I'm hoping to get up there soon and try to see if it's the right fit for me. They're putting in the effort to try to rebuild with me after the big coaching change, so I'm excited." Gash is a true athlete prospect at 6-4, 205 pounds. He has no preference where he plays at the college level. Michigan safeties coach Tyler Stockton is taking the lead in his recruitment right now. "A really cool dude," Gash said. "Su- per nice, super easy to talk to, and I can see a great coach in him." He wants to get on campus "hopefully soon." Gash has finals coming up and is in the homestretch of his spring track season, but he hopes to make the trip "in the next week or two." May 29-31 remains open on his travel schedule, but he likely won't take any OVs then because he hopes to compete in his state championship meet that weekend. For Michigan to secure an official visit, Gash needs to see the staff remain persistent. The Wolverines always in- trigued him, but he met the staff early this year and then didn't hear from them for a while. He can tell Michigan is very interested now. "You can definitely see the love," Gash said. The lack of communication early this year "kind of shut off some doors," but Michigan is working hard to change that, and he's hearing out the staff 's pitch. "I'd definitely say the door is still open, and things can change, as you see in college football every day," Gash said. Senior director of high school rela- tionships Ron Bellamy, defensive coor- dinator Jay Hill, defensive tackles coach Larry Black and Stockton all visited him at Catholic Central recently. Gash felt the love from them and enjoyed the chance to meet the new coaches. "They just say they love my size and athleticism," Gash said. "The team down south, they've got those big re- ceivers, so they said they need big cor- ners and big DBs. They love my size, they love my speed and they're just try- ing to do everything they can to make it up to me and make it right." ❑ Detroit Catholic Central's Gideon Gash is a true athlete prospect at 6-4, 205 pounds. Michigan safeties coach Tyler Stockton is taking the lead in his recruitment right now. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS