Michigan Football may be on the outside looking in for these 3 highly regarded recruits, but going all out and landing them would make massive waves in the 2026 class:
The Michigan Wolverines are off to a slow start in the 2026 recruiting class, with just three committed players thus far. However, a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to ensure that Sherrone Moore and company put together another stellar class.
They may be on the outside looking in concerning the prospects we are discussing today, but a strong final push could see the Wolverines land these talented high schoolers and bring them to Ann Arbor.
Here are three players that Michigan may not lead for at the moment, but should make a big run at in the 2026 class.
OT Jackson Cantwell
The 6-foot-7.5, 300-pound monster from Nixa, Missouri is the No. 1 player in his class. Unfortunately, the latest news is Cantwell is trending away from Michigan.
According to a recent On3 article , the three schools standing out to him as of now are Georgia, Oregon and Miami. On3 also expects NIL to play a significant role in his recruiting process. This development is a bit surprising considering the Wolverines’ vast NIL resources and rich offensive line tradition.
However, Cantwell did have good things to say to The Michigan Insider on his most recent visit to Ann Arbor:
“I’d say their player development program and how in-depth their scheme talk with me was surprised me,” Cantwell said. “Just how in-depth coach Newsome went was so surprising. I haven’t really gotten to do that much at a lot of other schools.”
Cantwell will take his official visit the weekend of June 13, and this may be the Wolverines’ final opportunity to convince him why Michigan is the right school for him.
Edge Jake Kreul
One of the top edge rushers in the nation, Kreul plays for IMG Academy down in Florida. He recently visited Ann Arbor and gave rave reviews.
“They definitely have a good footing with me,” Kreul said. “This was a great visit. They definitely impressed my family. It will be interesting to see how things play out in May when I finalize my official visits. But the main thing that sticks out to me about Michigan is the culture. They have a lot of like-minded people who are pushing to be great.”
The Wolverines could receive an official visit from Kreul this summer, but that has yet to be scheduled. Other schools competing include Texas, Penn State, Florida State, Miami and many others. It’s unclear where exactly Michigan sits in his pecking order, but Lou Esposito and company should be making an all-out effort to land Kreul at all costs.
ATH Salesi Moa
The wide receiver/safety is one of the top athletes in the 2026 class and is the type of raw talent Michigan has craved for years. We know all about the team’s trenches dominance, but adding these perimeter weapons could take this program from excellent to consistently elite.
One team standing in Michigan’s way is Michigan State . The Spartans landed a transfer commitment from his brother, Aisea Moa , which could signify things to come for the younger Moa. However, he did visit Michigan and had nothing but good things to say.
“What stood out to me the most was the standard they set for the players,” Moa said via 247Sports’ Blair Angulo . “The Wolverines are high on my list now that I saw everything in person. My relationship with the coaches is good — they all welcomed me and are transparent, so I really like that. We’ve got the official visit locked in.”
Moa feels like less of a long shot than the other two prospects in this article, but it will be a tough pull nonetheless.