The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 155 defensive backs in the country. He ranks No. 197 nationally after racking up a strong list of Power Four of- fers. The No. 17 safety nationally out of Mal- vern (Pa.) Haverford School took official visits to North Caro- lina, Tennessee and Ole Miss. He now plans on heading to Ann Arbor for Vic- tors Weekend. Jones keeps his recruit- ment pretty quiet, but his uncle played for the Volunteers, and they're certainly a program to monitor closely. Michigan safeties coach Tyler Stockton visited him twice in Pennsylvania this spring, and the Wolverines built a strong connection with him and his family. Now, they need to capitalize on those bonds once he's on campus. Rivals300 EDGE Ifeanyi Emedobi Emedobi made it to campus for the first time June 12-14. Michigan built a great connection with the Fo r t Way n e ( I n d . ) Northrop High stand- out in the preceding month, and that cat- apulted the program into contention. His official visit only reinforced those positive vibes between the Wolverines and the No. 265 recruit and No. 23 edge rusher in the country. He's one of the most unique athletes in the class at 6-2, 214 pounds with an 81- inch wingspan and over 11-inch hands to go along with a 4.48 40-yard dash. Penn State and Minnesota are also in the mix, but Michigan holds the edge here. Four-star LB Frederrick Ford Michigan jumped into the mix for Ford late, but the Wolver- ines were working to get the 6-foot-5 ris- ing senior on campus for a Victors Week- end official visit. The No. 242 recruit and No. 21 linebacker in the country out of Greenwood (Miss.) High stopped by Ann Arbor June 10 for an unofficial visit, and that trip went su- per well. Tennessee, Ole Miss and Mis- sissippi State also hosted him on OVs. His recruitment feels very open, and linebackers coach Alex Whittingham is working hard to build some momentum around Michigan. The Wolverines have their foot in the door but likely need to get him on campus again to secure a commitment. LSU is slated to host him June 19-21. Four-star WR Damani Warren Michigan and Warren are the top two for Warren as his re- cruitment nears its end. The four-star pa ss ca tc h e r f ro m Las Vegas Arbor View knows the Wolver- ine staff extremely well. His high school quarterback and close friend, Thaddeus Thatcher, was a Utah commit, and Micah Simon recruited him to the Utes as well. Now, they're both priority targets for the Wolverines. He's the No. 404 recruit in the country at 6-4, 210 pounds. Warren used to be a Top 100 prospect, but inju- ries kept him from showing off his talent for most of his high school career. Michi- gan remains extremely high on him, and a spring trip to Ann Arbor established U-M as a team to watch in his recruitment. Texas A&M made a strong push on its of- ficial visit that the Wolverines needed to counter during Victors Weekend. Four-star CB Larry Moon Moon is a recent addition to Michigan's defensive back board, a n d h e 's q u i c k l y emerging as a key tar- get for the Wolverines. He was scheduled to visit Ann Arbor for V i c to rs We e k e n d , with the program try- ing to gain momentum with the 5-foot-11 IMG Academy standout. Rivals consid- ers him a cornerback, but Michigan is re- cruiting him as a safety. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech hosted him the first two of- ficial visit weekends. Michigan will have the final in-person pitch with the No. 369 recruit in the country. Moon plays his high school football in Florida, but he hails from Aliquippa, Pa. Rivals300 OL Lincoln Mageo Lincoln Mageo is Michigan's top target to round out its offensive line class this summer. He was on commit watch for the Wolverines going into his June 5 official visit and, while he didn't commit dur- ing the visit, the Wolverines are in a good position with the Oceanside (Calif.) High standout. He's the No. 242 recruit and the No. 16 interior offensive lineman in the class. Utah and Washington are also in the mix here, but Michigan remains the heavy favorite going into his July 11 decision. ❑ Michigan is in a strong position with Oceanside (Calif.) High's Lincoln Mageo, the nation's No. 16 interior offensive lineman. He is set to announce his college choice July 11. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL