The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546004
42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2026 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M ichigan's 2027 recruiting class ranks No. 11 nationally and third in the Big Ten with 21 commits already in the boat. We expect the Wolverines to take an aggressive approach to pursuing flip targets and senior risers this fall. The staff went on a red-hot recruiting streak in May that landed four of the program's five highest-ranked commits. The official visit season was a bit quieter for Michigan, but there's still a ton of excitement around this class. A handful of flip targets have already popped up on the radar for later in the cycle, and this staff will rely on senior evals to shape the rest of the recruiting board. Let's take a look at the Wolver- ines' remaining needs going into July. WIDE RECEIVER Committed: 1 • Need: 2-3 Michigan landed Quentin Burrell, the No. 99 recruit in the country, in May, and he's locked in as the highest-ranked pledge in the class. The rest of the class remains a question mark. Dakota Guer- rant picked Oregon, Damani Warren committed to Texas A&M, and Tre Brit- ton III is expected to select Missouri. The Wolverines will be selective at the receiver position this cycle. Michigan is extremely young and talented at the position, so the staff doesn't need to take pass catchers to fill spots. Guerrant remains a top target. His recruitment was always expected to go until signing day. In-state Cincinnati commit Chad Willis is another potential senior riser to monitor. Micah Simon will add another commitment or two to this class, but it sounds like Michigan will take a patient approach to doing so. DEFENSIVE LINE Committed: 1 • Need: 2 Michigan didn't land priority defen- sive tackle target Reinaldo Perez or Seth Tillman this summer, but there's still plenty of buzz around this class thanks to Xavier Muhammad. The Wolverines are super high on the elite defensive lineman from Houston, Texas. He's the No. 88 recruit nationally. The staff still wants to add another defensive tackle to the class, but plans on waiting un- til the fall to do so. Michigan will keep an eye on several potential senior ris- ers. Wisconsin commits David Hill and Will Zaccagnino are two prospects to know. We also expect Michigan to keep recruiting Perez despite his summer pledge to Indiana. LINEBACKER Committed: 2 • Need: 3 Linebackers coach Alex Whitting- ham has already landed three com- mitments in his first college recruiting cycle. Frederrick Ford, Brayden Watson and Weston Port all pledged to the pro- gram. Port is a class of 2025 recruit cur- rently serving a mission. He will arrive on campus in January. Ford and Watson both project as outside linebackers who will thrive playing in space. Michigan wants to round out this class with an old-school middle linebacker in the '27 class. Former Texas commit Cade Haug recently shared that he's interested in visiting this fall, and we expect Michi- gan to look for a senior riser to fill this spot as well. SAFETY Committed: 2 • Need: 3 Tavares Harrington is a blue-chip de- fensive back who can play just about anywhere. Landing him over Notre Dame and Alabama set the floor on this safety class high. Charles Woodson Jr. also adds versatility to the secondary as someone who could line up at nickel as well. Michigan wants to land another safety to fill out this class. Recent Ten- nessee commit Marcus Jones, Georgia Tech pledge Larry Moon III and Colo- rado commit Gabe Jenkins are all flip targets. We don't expect much move- ment here in the near future, but we could see Michigan push for these top targets in the fall. ❑ ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING Michigan's Remaining Recruiting Needs Quentin Burrell, the No. 99 recruit in the country, committed to Michigan in May to become the highest-ranked pledge in the class to date. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL