Predicting Michigan football full 2026 recruiting class

USA Today

17-06-2025

Predicting Michigan football full 2026 recruiting class - June edition
There is one more big recruiting weekend left in the late spring official visit cycle, and the Wolverines are hoping to make the most of it. But June 13 was perhaps the pivotal weekend, with so many top targets all on campus at the same time.
Michigan football currently has 10 commitments and that number is likely to grow considerably in the coming weeks as prospects weigh their visits across the country. With the maize and blue having made a strong impression on a number of candidates, who is likely to choose to wear a winged helmet?
Now that the recruiting board is becoming more clear, here are our predictions as to what the 2026 class will look like in June 2025.
Quarterback
Player: Newbury Park (Calif.) four-star Brady Smigiel (committed April 2025)
Running Back
Player: Mineral (Va.) Louisa Country five-star Savion Hiter (officially visited June 13, 2025)
Arguably Michigan's biggest overall target, regardless of position. The Wolverines are battling Tennessee (he visits the Vols on June 20), Ohio State, and Georgia. Michigan likely to go all-out to secure his services. Confidence: 7/10
Wide receiver
Player: Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile (committed October 2024)
Player: Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson (officially visited June 13, 2025)
The Wolverines have been long on Johnson and it appears as if they made an even stronger move on his official visit. He's gotten predictions to land in Ann Arbor from all of the major recruiting sites. Confidence: 8/10
Player: Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson (officially visited May 30, 2025)
Long linked to the Wolverines, Robinson seems like a likely choice to end up in the class, barring something unforseen. Confidence: 6/10
Player: Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell (set to officially visit June 20, 2025)
Probably Michigan's top wide receiver target, it will be a difficult pull for the Wolverines, but they may make a strong NIL play to land him. The southern schools loom large and are likely to win out, but we'll put him in the class knowing that the maize and blue will swing for the fences this weekend. Confidence: 1/10
Offensive line
Player: Fruitland (Idaho) four-star OT Kelvin Obot (officially visiting June 20, 2025)
Michigan has done an exemplary job recruiting both offensive linemen and the Mountain West region of the U.S. With five-star Felix Ojo likely remaining in the South, it stands to reason that the big land would be Obot in this class. Confidence: 4/10
Player: Cartersville (Ga.) Casss four-star IOL Bear McWhorter (committed Feb. 2025)
Player: Fort Worth (Tx.) North Crowley four-star IOL John Turntine III (officially visited May 30, 2025)
Michigan has made Turntine a priority throughout the process. A strong official visit could put the Wolverines in an interesting position. Confidence: 4/10
Player: Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha four-star OT Malakai Lee (officially visiting June 20, 2025)
Lee has made more visits to Ann Arbor than anywhere else -- impressive considering the distance. The SEC is working hard to get him in the fold, but Michigan gets the final visit, and just one week before he makes his college decision. Confidence: 7/10
Tight End
Player: Billings (Mont.) West four-star Matt Ludwig (committed May 2025)
Player: Denver (Colo.) Mullen three-star Mason Bonner (committed May 2025)
Edge Rusher
Player: Chicago (Ill.) Simeon four-star McHale Blade (committed June 2025)
Player: Washington (D.C.) St. John's College three-star Tariq Boney (committed April 2025)
Player: Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga College five-star Carter Meadows (officially visiting June 20, 2025)
Meadows is probably Michigan's biggest priority at edge rusher and this weekend should provide an opportunity for the Wolverines to make a big move for him. Confidence: 5/10
Defensive Line
Player: Liberty Hill (Tx.) four-star Alister Vallejo (committed June 2025)
Player: Winston Salem (N.C.) Oak Grove three-star Ben Boulware (officially visited June 13, 2025)
Boulware hasn't gotten a ton of publicity, but the Wolverines have done a good job recruiting him. The official visit appears to have gone well, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him end up in the class. Confidence: 5/10
Player: St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet four-star Titan Davis (officially visiting June 20, 2025)
Michigan is battling Alabama and gets the final visit. It feels like this contest is the Wolverines' to lose. Confidence: 6/10
Linebacker
Player: Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh School four-star Nick Abrams II (officially visited June 6, 2025)
Abrams has the makeup of a Michigan recruit, and it appeared that the Wolverines knocked it out of the park on his official visit. Feels like a shoo-in, but recruiting is recruiting. Confidence: 7/10
Player: Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Christian Academy four-star Shadarius Toodle (officially visited June 6. 2025)
Currently committed to Auburn, it doesn't appear that it will stick. However, it's unlikely that Michigan wins this one out, with Georgia appearing to have the lead. Still, we're including him, thinking the Wolverines could make a late NIL play. Confidence: 1/10
Player: Richmond (Va.) Huguenot three-star Markel Dabney (officially visited June 13, 2025)
Currently committed to SMU, Dabney made a secret official visit this past weekend. If Michigan wants him, it could land him.
Confidence: 5/10
Defensive Backs
Player: Frisco (Tx.) Lone Star four-star S Jordan Deck (officially visited June 13, 2025)
Michigan doesn't seem to have many pure safeties on the board, but Deck has been a consistent focus. With a good visit this past weekend, it feels like he'll end up in the class barring something unforeseen. Confidence: 6/10
Player: Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star CB Brody Jennings (committed July 2024)
Player: Richmond (Va.) Hermitage four-star CB Andre Clarke (officially visited June 13, 2025)
Had a strong official visit to Ann Arbor this past weekend and was predicted by all of the recruiting sites to end up in a winged helmet as a result. Confidence: 8/10
Player: Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield four-star CB Khary Adams
It appears to be a Michigan vs. Penn State battle. We have this one at a coin flip at the moment. Confidence: 5/10
Special Teams
Phoenix (Ariz.) Sandra Day O'Connor LS Colton Dermer (committed June 2025)
Conclusion
Of course, some of the players who appear to be likely Ann Arbor-bound will end up elsewhere -- such is the case every year. But same can be said, vice versa, of those who appear unlikely to end up in a winged helmet.
We did best guess lists last summer, and of course, none included players like Bryce Underwood or Ty Haywood. NIL can change things in a hurry, for better or worse. Consider this list more of a pulse on recruiting than the most likely outcome.