With Michigan Football bringing in a star-studded defensive line class in 2026, let’s take a look at other recent recruiting classes to see if any single position group matches or exceeds it:
The Michigan Wolverines ’ recruiting palooza appears to have ceased, at least for now. Their recruiting class shot up from outside the Top-30 all the way up to No. 7 in the country, according to 247Sports . This jump is in large part thanks to defensive line coach Lou Esposito and the star-studded haul he was able to bring in over the past few weeks. This haul includes Carter Meadows (nationally ranked No. 34), Titan Davis (122), Julian Walker (155), Alister Vallejo (204), and Tariq Boney (unranked).
But have there been other recruiting hauls at specific position groups in recent memory that have matched or exceeded the 2026 defensive line? Let’s find out.
2025 secondary
Just last recruiting cycle (this year’s incoming freshmen), LaMar Morgan brought in a strong group in the secondary. Shamari Earls (No. 77 overall) is the headliner, but there’s depth throughout the group. Of the five players here, four are ranked in the Top-130 overall with Earls and Jayden Sanders (128) at cornerback, and Elijah Dotson (97) and Kainoa Winston (130) at safety. The secondary should be well-stocked for years to come.
2022 DL
The defensive line portion of this class was small, as it consisted of just three players, but I think you’ll recognize them. Two of the three were ranked nationally by 247Sports, as Derrick Moore was No. 94 and Mason Graham was No. 209. The three-star player in question — Kenneth Grant. That’s about as good as it gets at recruiting a position.
2020 skill positions
I decided to lump together the skill positions in this class due to the ambiguity. Michigan brought in just one running back, No. 232 overall Blake Corum. At wide receiver, the class consisted of A.J. Henning (137) and Roman Wilson (219). Throw in at-the-time linebacker Kalel Mullings (238), and this became a heck of a haul at the skill positions.
2019 OL
Michigan brought in a massive class along the offensive line in 2019. While not all were hits, a majority were. Four of the six were ranked highly by 247Sports coming out of high school, with Trente Jones (109), Karsen Barnhart (161) and Trevor Keegan (184) all being Top-200 players that were major contributors in Ann Arbor. Nolan Rumler (179), Jack Stewart (three-star), and Zach Carpenter (three-star) rounded out the class.
2017 WRs
The Wolverines brought in an unprecedented five wide receivers in 2017. While only four stuck at receiver, the lone position-switcher, Brad Hawkins, carved out a pretty nice career at safety. The four remaining receivers were all ranked within the Top-200, with Donovan Peoples-Jones (26) as the headliner. When Oliver Martin (47), Tarik Black (194) and Nico Collins (200) are considered the depth in your class, you’re doing well at recruiting.
It’s encouraging to see Michigan’s 2026 defensive line group ranked in the same company as the other groups on this list. However, they’ll have to prove it on the field. If they can even get within striking distance of the production the 2022 defensive line class had, it will be considered a major success.