And that recruit is absolutely correct.
Michigan fans know after watching Sherrone Moore’s introductory press conference that the Wolverines plan to beat opponents just like they did last year on their run to a national championship — winning in the trenches and staying physical on both sides of the ball.
“We will continue to attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” Moore said at the time. “And I promise you — we will smash.”
We know from Moore’s background as an offensive line coach and his game plan against Penn State, where Michigan ran 32 straight rushing plays in a row to beat the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley, that he loves smash-mouth football, and his recruiting strategy so far has showcased that.
For this edition of the Recruiting Roundup, we will discuss three recruits who could help Michigan’s smash mouth approach get even better.
Top-100 OT recruit calls Michigan ‘one of the biggest lineman factories’
Promoting Moore to head coach shows Michigan is prioritizing offensive line play . With Moore on the staff, the Wolverines have had a lot of success on the offensive line, and recruits like 2026 top-100 offensive linemen Tyler Merrill have taken notice.
“Michigan is arguably one of the biggest lineman factories in college football. They definitely have a big program, perhaps even a dynasty forming,” Merrill said to 247Sports’ Tom Loy ($). “Coach Moore recruited me in the summer last year and I’ve been nothing but excited to get back to Ann Arbor to see what coach Moore is building there at Michigan.”
On the 247Sports composite , Merrill is rated as the best interior lineman in the 2026 class, the 65th-best player in his class and the third-best recruit from Pennsylvania. Along with Michigan, Merrill has offers from about 20 schools, including Penn State, Ohio State , Nebraska, Rutgers and South Carolina, among others. Merrill told Loy he’ll be back in Ann Arbor on April 7.
“One of the first things I look at in a program is how they will develop me as a player, but also a student-athlete,” he continued. “My knowledge of Michigan isn’t complete, but definitely top of my list.”
Four-star OL target plans to visit Michigan for fifth time
2025 four-star offensive linemen Rowan Byrne is real familiar with Ann Arbor. He’s visited Michigan four times, including last summer’s BBQ at the Big House and just last month with new offensive line coach Grant Newsome .
Like Merrill, Byrne spoke highly of Michigan’s ability to develop offensive linemen in an interview with The Wolverine’s EJ Holland ($) .
“Michigan is still high in my recruitment because of the way the offensive line has played the last couple of years,” Byrne said. “They’ve had the best offensive line for three years. They won the National Championship. They’ve been one of the most successful teams over the last three years. They’ve prioritized me. I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. I think they’ve had 11 combine invites over the last three years. They develop guys super well.”
Byrne, who is rated just outside the top-30 among offensive linemen in his class and is ranked as the best 2025 recruit from New York on the 247Sports composite , is a priority for the Wolverines. As Holland mentioned, he was the first recruit Newsome saw on the road during the contact period.
Byrne is hoping to make a decision this summer, but he’ll be back in Ann Arbor before then.
“I will be there for a spring practice,” Byrne said. “I really like being out there. I love being in Ann Arbor. I really want to see coach Newsome coach. I know coach Newsome is going to do a great job, but I just want to see it in person.”
Four-star RB planning to visit Ann Arbor twice in the coming months
One of the most anticipated recruiting events of the next few months is Michigan’s spring game, where a handful of recruits will be in attendance to witness the scrimmage in person.
One recruit who confirmed he will be at that event is 2025 four-star running back Iverson Howard.
Additionally, Howard told TMI’s Brice Marich ($) he intends on using one of his official visits to Michigan.
Howard is rated as a top-30 running back in the 2025 class, and is ranked just outside the top-350 on the 247Sports composite . The Maryland native had Michigan in his top-10 in January , with Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin and Florida, among others, also on the list.
There are no predictions for Howard at the moment, but perhaps he can be swayed after the spring game or after his official visit.
“Michigan definitely works its way up to the top of my board,” Howard said. “I think of Michigan as a top program and I definitely will be looking more into it.”