The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2026 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING ties and Georgia ties. He really wants to get those Georgia kids back up at Michi- gan so they can be successful." Beyond Alford and Black, who already have established bonds in the Atlanta area and beyond, the rest of the staff is working to forge new connections in the region. No one on the staff has had more success recruiting Georgia so far than linebackers coach Alex Whittingham. Three-star linebacker Brayden Watson is U-M's lone '27 commit from the state so far. Whittingham made Watson a top priority after offering Jan. 29. Their con- nection quickly stood out to the Buford High standout's parents. "There was one period where he and Alex talked every night. Every time I would go past his bedroom, I couldn't tell if he was on the phone with Ethan — his best friend— or Coach Alex," Watson's father, Chezley, said. "He was on the phone with Alex all the time. Once you connect and you build that relationship with somebody, you know when it's right." Watson silently committed on his first visit with Michigan in April. The Wolverines almost landed his best friend and linebacker teammate too — Ethan Hauser — but he pledged to Vanderbilt. There's buzz behind the scenes that Michigan will push for him until signing day. Watson confirmed that last week af- ter he took the field with Hauser for the first time as senior captains. "Job's not finished with him," Wat- son said. "Clearly, we need to get him flipped from that other school he's committed to. I like that other coach- ing staff, but he knows where he needs to be." Going into the fall, Michigan contin- ues to lay the groundwork for a strong push into Georgia during the 2028 cycle, and the staff will continue to explore flip targets in the 2027 class as well. The Wolverine program's reputation contin- ues to carry weight in the state. "Whoever they bring on that staff is going to do a good job because tra- ditionally, year-in and year-out, you know what Michigan brings to the ta- ble," Davis said. "They've got resources and support, and then the back half of that is they typically will have very good kids and well-coached players." ❑ WOLVERINE WOLVERINE - The The Show - Show - youtube.com/@TheWolverineVideo TheWolverine.com YouTube channel is your place for the best Michigan conversations on the web. If you like reading The Wolverine and TheWolverine.com, then you'll love listening to our staff talk about Michigan football, basketball and recruiting. We broadcast four days a week during the football season and three days a week during the offseason.