The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL C olt Lumpris spent most of this year committed to Alabama, but when he made a low-key trip to Ann Ar- bor in May, he was already "pretty set" on Michigan. He visited the Wolverines on May 23 and flipped that same day. The longtime Crimson Tide tight end pledge from Lawrenceville Town- ship (N.J.) The Lawrenceville School planned out a full slate of official visits to Alabama, Penn State, Kentucky and Michigan. After conversations with his circle, he decided to make a quick trip to U-M unofficially. "I wasin talks with my agent, my par- ents and the school because they didn't really want me to be stressed about anything when it was upcoming finals week," Lumpris said. The four-star recruit kept the visit quiet. He was already leaning toward Michigan but needed to have some key conversations before making the deci- sion official. The impromptu trip was a unique experience because no one was on campus except for the staff. Lumpris enjoyed plenty of one-on- one time with his primary recruiters — tight ends coach Freddie Whitting- ham and assistant tight ends coach Ali'i Niumatalolo. His visit was filled with meetings and film study. "It was like a ghost town," Lumpris said. "So, I really got to see everything, and I was just hanging out with Coach Whitt and Coach Ali'i. It was a good time." Michigan made him the program's top priority at tight end this cycle. Lumpris likes Whittingham and Niumatalolo be- cause they can lock in on football but also be "unserious" at points. They talk about golf more than anything. He sat down with Whittingham in his office during the trip for a pivotal conversa- tion. "It was in his office, and he said, 'As soon as you tell me you're a Michigan man, I don't have to recruit any other tight ends,'" Lumpris said. "And then I told him." Lumpris, a 6-foot-6.5, 240-pound pass catcher, held an elite offer list but picked U-M because it felt like the right fit for him on and off the field. Michigan kept pushing for and landed a priority tight end, Christian Hanshaw, after his pledge, but he's essentially a 2029 pros- pect due to his two-year LDS mission. Lumpris will be the only freshman tight end to enroll next year. "If we were to put aside football, I think academically, just as a student, I would fit well there," Lumpris said. "And then putting in football, it is liter- ally just perfect — just the developmen- tal factor there and how Coach Whitt sees me and their belief in me and my belief in the program." Whittingham was "stoked" to hear the good news. A couple of months later, Lumpris remains locked in with the Wolverines. He spent this summer playing one last summer lacrosse sea- son and winning one-on-one MVP at Justin Jefferson's Under Armour Flight School camp. Lumpris said it feels great to be a Michigan commit. His family loves the program as well. The tight end spent Victors Weekend in Ann Arbor and built great relationships with his future teammates. He clicked well with fellow commits Kamden Lopati and Brayden Watson. "It was great just getting to see the guys and the connection that clicked right away," Lumpris said. "I feel like that was huge for me with all the guys, and just getting to talk to all the coaches and how the next few years will be. It'll be special at Michigan." Current Wolverines Malakai Lee, Eli Owens and Mason Bonner spent a lot of time with the future Michigan tight end during the trip. Lumpris appreciated how welcoming everyone was during his official visit. "They're not like 'You're younger, yo u 're u n d e r u s,' " L u m p r i s s a i d . "They're one with us. I feel like that was something different about Michi- gan in how they actually cared about us. They don't see us as competition coming in. It's like we're just all boys together." His school does not allow early grad- uation, so Lumpris will enroll at Michi- gan next summer. He said Michigan's plan for him is to start as a receiving tight end who can play plenty of snaps in the slot as he develops his traditional in-line skill set. Going into the fall, Lumpris said he shut down his recruit- ment. ❑ Michigan TE Commit Colt Lumpris Reflects On His Decision PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Lumpris has a receiver's skill set in a towering tight end frame. He's a legit 6-foot-6.5 with an eye- popping catch radius. When you com- bine those measurables with how fluid he looks as a receiver on the football field, it's clear why Michigan wanted him. He caught 44 passes for 812 yards and 8 touchdowns last fall. Lumpris is extremely strong in contested catch situ- ations, but he is far from exclusively a jump ball receiver. He can make plays after the catch as well and break tackles. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Lumpris is a very tall, talented receiver at this stage in his development. He will need to de- velop his blocking and add more weight to his frame. Once he does so, he can be a game-changer in Ann Arbor. PLAYER COMPARISON: NFL tight end Isaiah Likely — Likely was a dynamic receiver with an imposing frame at the college level, and we expect Lumpris to develop into a similar player with NFL Draft potential. — Ethan McDowell Lumpris, the country's No. 219 prospect and No. 7 tight end, and the one-on-one MVP at Justin Jefferson's Under Armour Flight School camp, flipped his commitment from Alabama to Michigan in May. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS