The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL W oodward Academy defensive co- ordinator Ryan Davis pulled up a list of Michigan's new staff members during his interview with The Wolver- ine. The Big Ten program has a history recruiting the prep program in College Park, Ga., but he needed to reacquaint himself after last year's turnover. Defensive tackles coach Larry Black started recruiting Woodward Academy defensive lineman Tory Clark almost a year ago, so he already knew Davis. Run- ning backs coach Tony Alford, offensive coordinator Jason Beck, special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs and assistant wide receivers coach Marques Hagans are all familiar faces for Davis as well. Yes, Michigan's coaches have strong recruiting roots in Utah and California, but the Wolverines have a solid recent history of pursuing prospects out of the Peach State. And new U-M head coach Kyle Whittingham put the staff mem- bers in place to maintain those connec- tions. "These guys on Michigan's staff have been through here, so they know what it means to have Georgia players on their team," Davis said. "All of them have ties to the South or have recruited down here in Atlanta or in the Georgia area. It should be a good thing for them." MICHIGAN'S MISSION TO MAINTAIN GEORGIA MOMENTUM Kevin Hartsfield is the nation's No. 1 running back and the No. 2 junior in Georgia per Rivals. Everyone from Michigan to UGA and Ohio State are pursuing the No. 20 overall recruit in the 2028 class. Alford offered him in Febru- ary, brought him in for a couple of visits and continues to make him feel like a top priority ever since the contact window opened June 15. "I hear from Coach Alford every day," Hartsfield told The Wolverine. "Ever since (June 15) hit, I hear from him every day. He texts me, he calls me, sends long messages. If I miss his text one day, he sends me a long text message talking about, 'Why aren't I texting him back? Did I forgot about him?'" Texas, Miami, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Michigan are some of the schools standing out to the elite running back. Alford keeps U-M in his top group with a consistent approach to relation- ship building. When he locks in on a running back as a priority, he doesn't just recruit the kid. He bonds with the whole family. In fact, Hartsfield said Alford talks to his father even more than him. "For my dad to like them, it makes me like them," Hartsfield said. "They're definitely up there." Marietta (Ga.) High head coach Cam Duke used to lead the Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater High football program. Al- ford recruited his school back then, and now the Wolverines are pursuing Mer- rick Ham, the nation's No. 160 propect and No. 14 edge rusher per Rivals, at Duke's new program. "He's a great recruiter, someone that you know always would pick up the phone," Duke said. "I respect the heck out of Tony Alford from his time at Ohio State and Michigan. He recruited our running back really well. I thought he was an elite recruiter, and he was a great coach as well." Alford is widely considered one of the nation's top recruiters. Davis men- tioned him too as someone with a deep knowledge of the game. He's not the only popular coach on Michigan's staff in Georgia, though. Black worked in SEC country at Vanderbilt before leaving for Ann Ar- bor this offseason. He has recruited Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi hard since joining the Wol- verines. That includes prioritizing Tory Clark — the No. 389 recruit per Rivals Indus- try and No. 39 defensive lineman in the country from Woodward Academy. He holds a long list of SEC offers, but his connection to Black led to him locking in an Oct. 24 visit with U-M. "I actually met him back when he was at Vanderbilt before he made the switch, and it's been great connecting with him," Clark said. "He texts me al- most every day." Davis can tell Black wants to make Georgia a priority from their conversa- tions about Clark, who also holds offers from Oregon, Georgia and many others. "Coach Black's a very, very good coach," Davis said. "He knows D-line play extremely well. He's going to be a major asset to them …. He has South ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan Is Focused On Recruiting In Georgia Linebacker Brayden Watson of Buford, Ga., a 2027 commitment, is the first of what Michigan's new staff hopes is a steady stream of Georgia players joining the Wolverines. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS