After flipping five-star QB Bryce Underwood and landing elite OL Ty Haywood last week, Michigan Football was recently deemed by ESPN as the biggest winner of the 2025 recruiting cycle:
Sherrone Moore had a great first full recruiting class as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines . With a pair of five-stars in quarterback Bryce Underwood and offensive lineman Andrew Babalola, six total top-100 talents and other four-stars galore, the Wolverines finished with the No. 6 overall class on 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Now that the dust has settled, ESPN recently published a story detailing their most surprising moves, best fits and much more. When it came down to the overall biggest winner in the 2025 class, the Worldwide Leader in Sports believes that distinction should go to Michigan.
Here is ESPN’s rationale:
Only a handful of elite programs recruited better than the Wolverines in 2025, but none finished stronger than Michigan at the end of coach Sherrone Moore’s debut cycle.
All told, the Wolverines secured commitments from six ESPN 300 prospects between Oct. 21 and the start of the early signing period, more than any program outside of Florida (6) in that span. Underwood, the coveted quarterback from Belleville, Michigan, marked the most significant haul over that stretch as a potential program-defining addition. But four-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola (No. 28 in the 2025 ESPN 300) was a key get, too, and Michigan reinforced on defense late in the cycle with top-100 additions Shamari Earls (No. 68 overall), Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (No. 76), Nathaniel Marshall (No. 77) and Jordan Young (No. 96). Wednesday’s commitment from Haywood — ESPN’s No. 3 offensive tackle and a one-time Alabama pledge — is a cherry on top to an impressive final stretch.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported in December on the Wolverines’ revamped NIL setup. With resources fortified and a ferocious push from the Michigan staff, the Wolverines surged late in the cycle, lending Moore credibility on the recruiting trail and laying a foundation for the Wolverines’ future in recruiting with the ninth-ranked signing class arriving on campus ahead of the 2025 season despite an 8-5 finish this past fall.
It’s hard to argue what ESPN is saying. Michigan finished this class incredibly strong down the stretch. Underwood’s commitment was one of three flips down the stretch, as the Wolverines also flipped four-star defensive lineman Nate Marshall (Auburn) and four-star defensive back Jordan Young (Clemson). The final big time addition came last week when four-star offensive lineman Ty Haywood — who had decommitted from Alabama last month — announced his commitment to Michigan on signing day.
Of course, all these things lined up thanks to Michigan’s efforts in the NIL space. Let’s be real — Underwood would have never flipped had it not been for his NIL deal in place. He’s even said as much . NIL also helped land Haywood last week, as well as Marshall and so many other players in this class.
Michigan has a really strong class from top to bottom. With a star quarterback, some potential big time weapons for him in four-star receivers Andrew Marsh and Jacob Washington, a really strong group of offensive and defensive linemen, a potential star linebacker in Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, and five four-star defensive backs, the Wolverines had an incredible first haul for Moore and are set up well for the future.
What do you think? Would you deem Michigan as the biggest winner of this recruiting class? Let us know down in the comments!