Following an unbelievable run on the recruiting trail, Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito is now a Top-3 recruiter in the country for the 2026 class, according to 247Sports:
Sherrone Moore was put in a tough spot when Jim Harbaugh took the Los Angeles Chargers job. Perhaps the most difficult was replacing the entire defensive staff, which Harbaugh mostly took with him to the NFL.
Initially, the Michigan Wolverines hired Greg Scruggs from Wisconsin, a proven defensive line coach with a track record of success in developing NFL talent. But his stint only lasted a month following an OWI arrest. About a week later, the program announced the addition of Lou Esposito, who was formerly Western Michigan’s defensive coordinator and had just been named the co-defensive coordinator at Memphis.
As Maize n Brew’s fearless leader Von Lozon put it in a message in Maize n Brew’s Slack, the Wolverines seemingly fell up the stairs in this situation. Some of it was out of circumstance, but the defensive line and its future have only soared since Esposito was hired.
First came an extremely tough situation in Aug. 2024, when Top-100 overall recruit Nate Marshall flipped from Michigan to Auburn. Four months later, the Wolverines regained the commitment of the standout edge recruit, affirming Michigan’s Top-10 status in the class.
Esposito was gifted Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Josaiah Stewart in his first season of Power 4 coaching. While Graham and Grant’s talent spoke for itself, Stewart took a tremendous jump in his final season at Michigan and turned into a Day 2 NFL Draft pick.
The play and development along the defensive line set the stage for what has happened in the last couple of weeks — pure dominance in 2026 recruiting.
Losing those three guys in one offseason would mean significant changes, but the Wolverines hit the ground running in the transfer portal. In the first two months of the offseason, Michigan added some great pieces in former five-star and Belleville product Damon Payne Jr., as well as Clemson’s Tre Williams.
Since then, the work hasn’t stopped in the 2026 class, and Esposito is already leveraging the experience he’s had at Michigan to find the right fits both on and off the field. Three-star Tariq Boney committed back in April. The sell? We’ll make you the next Josaiah Stewart.
“(Stewart is) the exact person,” Boney told The Michigan Insider. “They see me as what he did and since I’m the same frame, they can see me doing the same thing.”
The first commitment in the June run was an important one, as four-star McHale Blade set the stage and began recruiting some of the rest of these defensive linemen himself. He told The Michigan Insider his relationship with coaches, especially Esposito, was “the main reason” he committed to the Wolverines.
Another of Esposito’s recent wins, four-star Titan Davis, mentioned he and his family appreciated Esposito’s methods.
“He doesn’t overdo it,” Davis told 247Sports . “He’s going to give it to you real. He’s going to tell you the truth. And like, I think that’s what I like about him. He’s a straight shooter, as my mom says. We like straight shooters. Somebody that’s not going to lie to you or tell you a bunch of fibs and stuff. So, he tells you the truth. So, I think that’s a great thing about him.”
His biggest haul to date is elite edge rusher Carter Meadows, beating out rival Ohio State and Penn State for a pivotal recruiting win. Meadows told Sam Webb back in April just how important his relationship was with Esposito.
“Michigan is a big-time program and they have a reputation for developing people, and bringing in coach Espo (Esposito) was definitely just a move to help the players. He’s a very honest dude he is always asking me about not only talking football talks about my life outside of football trying to get to know me on a personal level and I appreciate that.”
Then on Tuesday, Michigan earned yet another commitment from four-star edge Julian Walker. Of all the guys Esposito has brought in, this one may be the most preposterous because Walker’s dad is the assistant strength and conditioning coach at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were viewed as the heavy favorite for him up until Walker announced his commitment to the Wolverines.
Esposito has leaped to the No. 3 recruiter in the country, per 247Sports , with six commits in the 2026 class, including five in the Top-250 overall. No matter how you dissect it, this run has been one of the most notable in Michigan history, and it would not be possible without Esposito. Thanks to his efforts, the Wolverines are on the cusp of forming one of the best recruiting classes in 2026, providing long-term success upfront, which historically has proven to be the way of winning championships.