The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 49 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING committed elsewhere, but the Wolver- ines are still interested in the four-star player from Shakopee (Minn.) High. That's not to say this goes anywhere, but Michigan was a top contender for the No. 27 linebacker in the country be- fore his early pledge to Penn State. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Indiana commit Reinaldo Perez Perez committed to Indiana just days before his scheduled official visit with Michigan. He remains in contact with the Wolverines, but there's nothing here to indicate he's wavering on his pledge. The four-star Hoosier commit from Colum- bus (Ohio) Academy remains on Michi- gan's radar going into the fall. Rivals lists him as the No. 180 player and No. 18 de- fensive lineman in the class of 2027. Wisconsin commit David Hill Hill (6-1 1/2, 320), the nation's No. 471 recruit from Homewood (Ill.) Home- wood-Flossmoor High, does not hold a Michigan offer yet, but that could change with a big senior year. The de- fensive lineman pledged to Wisconsin on May 1. Kentucky commit Jaylen Mercer Mercer and U-M defensive tackles coach Larry Black are building a rela- tionship this fall and, if Michigan starts to push, Mercer, the nation's No. 62 de- fensive lineman per the Rivals Industry Ranking, would be interested in taking a trip to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will keep a close eye on his senior film. Mer- cer is teammates with commit Mon- sanna Torbert, the nation's No. 70 pros- pect and No. 10 cornerback according to Rivals, at Cincinnati Princeton High. NEW ZEALAND PROSPECT EARNS MICHIGAN OFFER Amanaki Henoa followed a wind- ing path to the football field at Layton (Utah) Christian Academy, and he's ready to make the most of that opportu- nity this fall. Michigan offered him be- fore he played a varsity snap, and now he's strongly considering a pledge to the Wolverines. Henoa (6-4, 280) is a class of 2027 defensive lineman who grew up in New Zealand and started to fall in love with football as a kid. His father traveled to the United States and brought back some football merchandise, and Henoa started to learn about the game on television. "I've been watching football, and see- ing the physical plays, players jumping over people, trucking people, that just made me interested," Henoa said. After moving across the world to Utah, Henoa is fired up to play the sport for the first time as a high school senior. Henoa said the biggest adjustment he had to make going from rugby to football was learning the playbook. Defense, specifi- cally tackling and exploding off the ball in the trenches, came easier to him. "I'm very happy and blessed to get on the field and play with my brothers," Henoa told The Wolverine. "It's a dream come true." He played winger — a position usually meant for the team's fastest athletes — at a high level of youth rugby in New Zea- land and showed off impressive athleti- cism for his size. Henoa connected with his uncle, international talent scout Eric Moala-Liava'a, and he moved to Oregon last year. Oregon's state association didn't let him compete, so Henoa moved back to Utah and continued to put in the work. Through three games of his first season on the gridiron, Henoa had recorded 14 total tackles (3 for loss) and a sack. "I think I'm just trying my best to dominate everyone's run game, but I still need a lot of work," Henoa said. "It's my first time playing football, so I'm going to need all the help I can get from my coaches." Michigan defensive ends coach Lewis Powell offered him in July. Schools like Utah, BYU and Penn State are showing interest, but the Wolverines are the only program to extend a scholarship so far. "I just have a lot of schools coming at me, but I just leave that to the coaches. I'm not sure how that process works," Henoa said. "It looks like there's a lot of schools coming for me, so I'll make sure to be ready." Henoa said he needed to look up Mich- igan on Google when Powell offered him and is still surprised that one of the na- tion's top football programs wants to re- cruit him. "I had to do my research, because peo- ple were saying, 'You don't know who Michigan is?'" Henoa said. "Had to do a lot of research." Henoa remains in contact with Michi- gan's staff and hopes to visit Ann Arbor at some point this fall. He would like to know his college choice by the end of his season, and the Wolverines are eager to get him on campus and potentially in the classroom as well. "They're just saying they'll be happy to see me when I get there, and that might be the school I might be going to," Henoa said. The rising defensive lineman wants to build a connection with the staff in per- son and evaluate if the school is the right fit for him during his visit. Before he even sees campus, Henoa is already close to picking the Wolverines. "I'm not sure if I'm going to get a big- ger school than Michigan, and I think my best option is just to commit," He- noa said. ❑ Class of 2027 defensive line target Amanaki Henoa, shown here with Layton (Utah) Christian Academy assistant coach Eric Moala-Liava'a, is strongly considering a pledge to the Wolverines. PHOTO COURTESY AMANAKI HENOA