The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547256
54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 Nasir Richardson's father told him the re- cruiting process was going to get hectic fast. The Rivals Industry 5-star 2028 cornerback feels that now, with schools everywhere from Oregon to Miami pursuing him this fall. Richardson planned out a pretty busy visit schedule this fall and took a pivotal trip to Michigan in September. The nation's No. 8 overall recruit and top-ranked corner per Ri- vals watched the Wolverines beat Oklahoma and now touts the program as one of his top schools after learning more about the pro- gram on and off the field. "Michigan was great," said Richardson, a five-star prospect in the Rivals Industry Rank- ing. "I liked that the trip was short. It wasn't a long plane ride, but it was great when I was there. The coaches, they were very welcom- ing. I know they're supposed to do that, but I really felt it." Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford is Rich- ardson's primary recruiter, and he made sure the Newark (N.J.) Malcolm X Shabazz prospect felt like a top priority while on campus. "Right after the game, I went with the DB coach and we were watching film of the game like right after," Richardson said. "I never did that before." Richardson asked Gilford questions about his game, and the Wolverine assistant offered up tips to help improve. He said the whole staff shared advice with him throughout the trip. Development will play a key role in Richard- son's decision-making process. He also wants to pick a school that's not afraid to play fresh- men. Off the field, Richardson values a univer- sity with great networking opportunities for life after football. The elite junior also had an impactful meeting with Michigan's academic staff during his first visit. "I felt a real connection with (Gilford), ac- tually, compared to all the other schools," Richardson said. Michigan always intrigued Richardson. The Wolverines were always on his TV growing up as a football fan. During his visit, he learned U-M has more wins than any other college football program, and "that's great." Looking forward, he would love to talk to Gilford more over the phone. He really en- joyed their conversation after the Oklahoma game and hopes to have more of those mov- ing forward. Richardson will make it back to Ann Arbor as well. "It was great," Richardson said. "I can't not go back up there." Rutgers, Auburn, Ohio State and Miami are a few schools he plans on visiting later this year. He's interested in visiting Michigan again after those trips. "I would say after I finish these couple visits I have coming up, so I can get these out of the way, and then go back and see like, 'Oh yeah, this is definitely the school,'" Richardson said. Richardson won't rush into a decision. He plans on taking official visits next summer before committing anywhere. Penn State is the only other program to host him so far this fall, and he raved about his connection to the Nittany Lions staff. The Wolverines and PSU are both in a good spot with the cornerback going into the rest of his fall visits, but Richardson emphasized that he still has a lot of schools to see moving forward. "[Michigan] was different from a lot of the other schools, but those are two that really stand out," Richardson said. — Ethan McDowell Colt Lumpris is consistent. When he sees a jump ball in the end zone, he comes down with it far more often than not. And when he talks about his commitment to Michigan, the four-star tight end does not waver. The Wolverines flipped the Lawrenceville Township (N.J.) Lawrenceville School stand- out from Alabama during a low-key visit in May. He locked in with the program from there, returned to campus for Victors Week- end and has not shown any interest in other schools since then. "I've had a bunch of coaches still try to reach out, but I try to just be respectful about it and let them know that everything's shut down, just still respectfully having those con- nections," Lumpris told The Wolverine. Lumpris scored 3 touchdowns on 5 recep- tions against Philadelphia (Pa.) Springside Chestnut Hill Academy over same weekend the Wolverines fell to Minnesota. He's confi- dent the U-M team will turn things around, and confirms that his relationship with the Wolverines staff remains in a good spot. "Things are great," Lumpris said. "I was talking to Coach Whitt the other day." Lumpris, the No. 9 tight end in the Rivals Industry Ranking, took notice of how Wol- verine standout JJ Buchanan performed so far this year. He said the staff compares him to the tall, versatile pass catcher. Lumpris plans on attending U-M's road game against Rutgers as a fan because it's an easy trip. His team plays a lot of Satur- day games, but he will also make it to the Indiana game at The Big House later this month. Lumpris remains confident in this team's trajectory. "They're doing pretty pretty good so far, just a few hiccups," Lumpris said. "They'll be dominant the rest of the season." The Michigan commit caught a Hail Mary pass against Springside Chestnut Hill last year to win the game and compared it to Buchan- an's winning grab against Western Michigan. This year, his team beat their Philadelphian foes comfortably in a chippy game. "I feel like I was definitely exposing all their DBs, linebackers," Lumpris said. "They usu- ally have two guys on me the whole game, so I've just got to work around that. Other than that, I was going up, getting the ball, just do- ing anything that my team asks me to do." Lumpris' school doesn't allow early gradu- ates, so he's focused on getting bigger and stronger so he can arrive in Ann Arbor next summer ready to make an early impact. Lum- pris is also building a bond with his fellow commits. He's close with Kamden Lopati and Brayden Watson. The commits stay in touch through a group chat where they coordinate game-day visits together. He's excited to spend some time in The Big House with his future teammates. "I'm so excited to just be in the environ- ment with all the guys," Lumpris said. — Ethan McDowell Michigan Stands Out To 5-Star, No. 1 CB Nasir Richardson 4-Star TE Commit Colt Lumpris Remains Solid With Michigan ❱ PREP PROFILES ❱ Richardson on U-M assistant coach Jernaro Gilford "I felt a real connection with him, actually, compared to all the other schools." ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Newark, N.J. Malcolm X Shabazz Class: 2028 Position: Cornerback Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 165 Rivals Rankings: No. 8 over- all, No. 1 cornerback, No. 1 in New Jersey ❱ Nasir Richardson ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Lawrenceville Township, N.J. Lawrenceville School Class: 2027 Position: Tight end Ht.: 6-6.5 • Wt.: 240 Rivals Rankings: No. 15 tight end, No. 4 plyers in New Jersey ❱ Colt Lumpris