It’s been an absolute whirlwind of commitments over the past week. Now that there is a bit of lull, it’s a good time to reset and recap what’s been going on in the world of Michigan Football recruiting:
It’s been an overwhelmingly positive last few weeks for the Michigan Wolverines on the recruiting trail. They have landed a great list of impactful players, but of course, they are not batting 1.000.
In case you missed anything over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, we have the latest on some Michigan targets in today’s Recruiting Roundup.
Five-star WR shockingly picks the Orange
Calvin Russell’s recruitment has been anything but standard. For now, he has committed to Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange.
Russell is a literal and figurative huge prospect for the Orange. At 6-foot-5, he is the third five-star recruit to ever commit there.
It’s unknown if Michigan and others will try to flip Russell away from the Orange. With or without Russell, Michigan’s 2026 class — and the receiver room in particular — is still on solid ground. Michigan has landed commitments from four-stars Zion Robinson and Travis Johnson, and three-star Jaylen Pile at the position.
OT target stays in Texas
Michigan recently landed Malakai Lee to go along with Marky Walbridge and Bear McWhorter on the offensive line. While landing another lineman is preferable, it’s not an overwhelming need.
One of the preferred targets is off the board, as five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech on the Fourth of July.
Originally Ojo was down to Michigan, Texas, Florida and Ohio State, but Texas Tech made a late push and ponied up on the NIL money. Per On3 , he landed himself a lucrative deal that includes many incentives and a revenue sharing arrangement that could push the value to $5.1 million.
Michigan making an impact with NIL
Per On3’s EJ Holland ($), Michigan is making a sizable impact on recruits with its own NIL efforts. Travis Johnson’s agent, Latish Kinsler, spoke positively about Michigan and General Manager Sean Magee.
“He is a pleasure to work with. In dealing with the house settlement and how things have changed, you want to have a GM you can talk things out with,” Kinsler said. “We still have nuances and are trying to put things in place that are best for the athlete and the program. It’s great to be able to work with someone like Sean. I’m very comfortable with him. I like communicating with him. We have a great relationship. On the NIL side, it wasn’t because it was the highest number. It was because it was the best fit. Everything included, it was the best situation for him.”
Kinsler was not the only agent to discuss Michigan’s role in NIL and Magee. Jaylen Pile and DQ Forkpa’s agent Cliff Hill had this to say.
“Sean is great to work with,” Hill said. “He is incredibly transparent. He is one of the most professional if not the most professional GM in college football. I have a good relationship with him. He’s always a pleasure to work with. He’s a great asset to that program. He’s really sharp. When kids get down to 2-3 schools that they like, I try to get all those schools in the same range, so the kid can pick the school not just based on money.”
Michigan was criticized early in the process for not discussing NIL with recruits or their representatives until post-NCAA vs House. This approach seems to be paying dividends, as Michigan’s recruiting rankings have jumped from in the 40s a month ago to now having a Top-10 class.
Quick Hitters
- After missing our on four-stars Jordan Deck and Chance Calicut, Michigan is still looking for a safety to help fill out it’s 2026 class. On3’s EJ Holland ($) reported that Michigan is looking at current Kansas commit, four-star James Dunnigan .
- 2026 four-star offensive lineman John Turntine is staying in Texas, as he committed to the Longhorns on July 4.
- 2026 three-star offensive lineman Jax Tanner will announce his commitment on July 12. Michigan is seemingly on the outside looking in, as BYU and Oregon seem to be the frontrunners.