The 2025 cycle is now firmly in the rearview. With Spring practices looming, Sherrone Moore and his staff must also lay important groundwork for Michigan’s 2026 recruiting class.
They’ve already secured three important pledges and made inroads with plenty of top-tier talent. Plenty will change between now and the two signing days, most prominently due to potential spring and fall transfer additions (and departures). Still, we can start to put together this class picture with current commitments, top targets, and potential underrated additions.
Michigan’s 2026 Recruiting Needs
Who’s In The Class So Far?
Three players: wide receiver Jaylen Pile, cornerback Brody Jennings, and offensive lineman Bear McWhorter.
Jennings was the first of the group to join, committing to Moore and LaMar Morgan during the BBQ at the Big House last summer. He’s a tall corner with long arms and exciting athleticism whose commitment was a bit of a surprise at the time. His stock is on the rise, as On3 recently moved him up 135 spots from 265th to 130th overall. For the time being, Jennings seems locked into the class, it will be a battle to the finish. Miami, Alabama, and Georgia are bringing some pressure and will inevitably try to keep the Sunshine Stater down south.
Pile is a borderline three/four star prospect out of the Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas. His film shows good body control, solid hands, and projects as a great safety blanket and chain-mover at the next level. A slightly sturdier Ronnie Bell comes to mind. This staff loves two-sport athletes, and Pile fits the bill as a 100-yard dash competitor in track-and-field.
McWhorter hails from Georgia and was an Alabam legacy – he was named after Bear Bryant! – so his pledge to a Big Ten program was rather shocking. Despite also being somewhere between three and four stars to the ranking services, McWhorter is a big get for Moore and offensive line coach Grant Newsome. He’s a stocky interior lineman who should provide a high floor at the position, though he may be a bit athletically limited. His most important trait is probably that all-important ‘mean streak,’ as McWhorter finishes his blocks with ferocity.
Who Are Michigan’s Top Targets?
They’re in a heated battle for two major running backs – Savion Hiter and Javian Osborne out of Virginia and Texas, respectively. Nabbing even one would be great, but Michigan is in great position to land both. Elsewhere on offense, local slot CJ Sadler is a must-get receiver out of Detroit. Michigan has a storied pipeline from Cass Tech, including current NFLers Jourdan Lewis, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Michael Onwenu. Sadler’s a great bet to continue that tradition.
Tight ends coach Steve Casula is targeting a trio of talented options in Brock Harris (Utah), Mason Bonner (Colorado), and Matt Ludwig (Montana). They should be able to haul in at least one, if not two of those three. Newsome is in a great position with at least half a dozen offensive linemen. The top names on his board are Hawaii’s Malakai Lee and Leo Delaney out of North Carolina.
On defense, Michigan’s in good shape with a pair of edge prospects – Carter Meadows (DC) and Jackson Samuels-Ford (Pennsylvania). They’re pushing for flips from top-150 linebackers Shadarius Toodle and Jordan Campbell, currently committed to Auburn and Miami, respectively. Morgan’s top target in the secondary appears to be Jordan Thomas (New Jersey). He’d make a fantastic pairing with Jennings at cornerback.
Any Diamonds In The Rough?
The most likely positions to emerge here are on defense, namely at defensive tackle. The interior of Lou Esposito’s position group has a murky outlook for now, with no currently top-ranked players showing out much for the Wolverines. Ben Boulware is recently rising up the boards. He’ll be difficult to pry out of Winston-Salem in North Carolina. JJ Finch is the top-ranked player in Indiana, a bit undersized currently but with a very promising frame to fill out for the defensive interior.
Elsewhere on defense, unranked linebacker Markel Dabney out of Virginia has an official visit scheduled, and position coach Brian Jean-Mary seems enthused about his potential. Enarri White is an unranked safety with an impressive offer list featuring top teams across the Big Ten and SEC. Michigan threw their hat in the ring just last week, so it’s worth monitoring White’s movement in the rankings as more scouting emerges.
On the other side of the ball, given the Wolverines’ dismal passing game last year, wide receiver recruits will be hard to come by until Chip Lindsey’s offense proves itself. Their only commit here, Pile, is eligible for ‘diamond in the rough’ status as a lower-ranked recruit. If top targets pledge elsewhere early, Lindsey and Ron Bellamy will have to head into the mines.
One Last Thing: Quarterback?
An excellent, if incomplete and grammatically insufficient, question.
The answer: ask again later. For the 2026 class, finding a signal-caller will be difficult. Most of the elite prospects will be scared off by Bryce Underwood’s presence. As a result, whomever Michigan is able to convince will almost certainly be eligible for ‘diamond in the rough’ status – someone comfortable waiting their turn before getting a shot at the job in 2028.
Current targets include Brady Smigiel out of California and Matt Ponatoski from Ohio. Both are four-star options, with Smigiel set to visit Ann Arbor in April. The Wolverines will face plenty of competition for them from schools that can likely offer more immediate playing time. Chances are their 2026 quarterback isn’t on the board yet. They will likely have a recruiting profile closer to someone like Cade McNamara – a lower-ranked gamer looking to prove himself.
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