The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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44 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2026 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL R ennard Dobson built his son a gym in their backyard when he was still in middle school. He told Joshua, a cor- nerback still in the beginning stages of his football journey, to write down some of his goals on a board. • Develop into a five-star and go to a major college • Grow as a man on and off the field in college • Try to make it to the NFL Those were just a few checkpoints on Joshua's athletic and academic journey. He's a five-star recruit now — the No. 6 recruit in the country, per Rivals — and the highest-ranked prospect consider- ing Michigan this cycle. He's close to checking off a huge goal that he set years ago. The board still hangs in his backyard gym to this day. Michigan surged into his top five after a recent spring visit, and the Wolverines offer a lot of what Joshua values in a school. Duke was the first program to offer him during the spring of his freshman year. Rennard saw the tears of joy that day, followed by a deluge of Power Four interest that stretched from coast-to- coast. LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Michigan make up his fi- nal five after he narrowed down a list of more than 40 scholarships. The Wolverines offered last summer, but his recruitment really ramped up after the coaching change. Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford traveled to North Carolina and let the Cornelius (N.C.) Hough High standout know that Michi- gan viewed him as a priority. "He likes the style of defense they already play, and they're going to defi- nitely have a shot as well, regardless of them getting in late," Rennard said. "I don't think they would make it to his final five if he felt like they didn't." Joshua could have included dozens of schools in the final spot in his top schools, but he went with Michigan. Rennard hasn't visited U-M yet, but he heard great things about the school from his son and Joshua's grandmother. They went into the visit not know- ing what to expect, Rennard explained, and the elite cornerback left campus impressed by the program on and off the field. "When he got there, he was just in awe because, pretty much, they had ev- erything that a kid like him was looking for as far as the school, the background, the family, a family-first head coach, a defensive-minded head coach," Ren- nard said. Joshua's grandmother echoed a simi- larly positive sentiment about the pro- gram Kyle Whittingham is building in Ann Arbor. They also like Michigan's plan for him on the football field. "We also know that they're losing multiple kids next year at the position," Rennard said. "They play a lot of man. Josh is a man corner. They caught his eye and attention with how they like to use their cornerbacks to be successful. Then, I've got to let him know they had the great Charles Woodson. They had so many great corners that came through there that just stand out to make Michi- gan who they are." The Wolverines really emphasized the program's combination of football and academics during the visit. When dis- cussing life after football, Rennard said it doesn't get any better than what U-M has to offer. ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING Michigan Surges Into 5-Star Cornerback Joshua Dobson's Top Five Dobson, Rivals' No. 6 overall prospect and No. 2 cornerback in the country, has moved Michigan into his top-five list of schools. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/RIVALS