The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546678
OCTOBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING said when asked for the highlight of the trip. "It was a great game." The elder Burch has previously raved about the culture Kyle Whittingham is building in Ann Arbor and elaborated on the U-M game-day experience. "The visit was very good," Alfie Burch said. "Ace had a great time. He got the four-star treatment, had conversations with the 2027 commits on the D-line and edge position, kept them all to- gether building a great family atmo- sphere." This was the Burch family's third trip to Ann Arbor this year. Michigan is still in very good shape with Burch, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back on campus for another game this fall. "First of all, the atmosphere for the fans has grown," Alfie Burch said. "Sounds like a true football environ- ment in there, and it got increasingly louder every quarter. Secondly, the team camaraderie. They look like they wanted to play for each other and a higher pur- pose. You saw that today. "I saw the kids and the coaches drink some of that Michigan believe juice." Alabama offensive tackle commit Anthony Blalock Jr. visited Ann Arbor for the first time during the Oklahoma weekend and started to build his rela- tionship with offensive line coach Jim Harding. He's the No. 295 recruit and No. 23 offensive tackle in the junior class from Austintown (Ohio) Finch High. "It was good!" Blalock said. "Coach Harding and I finally got to connect … He definitely wants to build a relation- ship. There is major interest." The Wolverines have not offered Blalock (6-5, 320) yet, but that could certainly change soon. He shared his favorite parts of the trip with The Wol- verine. "Just the environment and fans knowing who I was definitely was a feeling I never felt … but I would say just talking with Coach Harding," Blalock said. Commit Xavier Muhammad, the na- tion's No. 88 player and No. 8 defensive lineman, also made his first Michigan game-day visit, arriving on campus the Friday before the Oklahoma game and meeting up with Kamden Lopati's fam- ily for dinner. "It was amazing!!" Xavier's mother, Rosalind, said. "The fans, the stadium, the crowd!! They all were electric!! What an incredible display of resilience and teamwork!! The love Michigan al- ways shows us is like none other! So grateful to be here! Go Blue." Legacy safety target Marquis Ray, the country's No. 30 athlete, was also back on campus for his second visit in two weeks. Michigan looks like the early team to beat in the junior's recruitment. "Amazing win, and the defense played lights out," Ray said. "Michigan football is back after what I saw today." Rivals analyst Steve Wiltfong pre- dicted four-star safety Drake Coell- ner, Rivals' No. 281 prospect and No. 26 safety, to Oklahoma on Saturday morning before the Sooners-Wolver- ines matchup. He made the trip up from Indiana to the Big House and watched U-M emerge victorious. Coellner said the trip was "amazing!" His highlight of the visit was "seeing the coaches again and seeing Michigan getting a W." Michigan extended one offer in the wake of the upset victory. Class of 2029 cornerback Kameron Lowe added a Wolverines scholarship to his growing total. The 6-2 defender from Bloom- field Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice, whom 247Sports ranks as the No. 74 player and No. 8 cornerback in the sophomore class, said his visit was "great," and he will definitely be back on campus at some point. FLIP WATCH Michigan begins this football season looking for flips at several positions to fill out the 2027 class. The Wolver- ines rank No. 11 nationally in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings and already hold 21 pledges but will keep pursuing a few coveted prospects committed else- where. Based on what we've gathered from various sources, Michigan wants to add playmakers to this class at wide re- ceiver, safety, linebacker and defensive tackle. Here is a closer look at some val- ued targets: Four-star legacy edge rusher Asa Burch was one of the headliners on campus during the Oklahoma weekend. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL