Michigan Football hosts surprise Top 100 recruiting visitor

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As Michigan continues to gear up for its first official visit weekend of the summer next week, Kyle Whittingham and company have also hosted recruits for unofficial visits this month as well. One of the most recent is a major target within the state of Michigan that the Wolverines are beginning to prioritize more and more.

Michigan hosts elite in-state recruit for visit

Over the weekend, 2027 four-star athlete Gideon Gash made a low-key visit to Ann Arbor for the first time under the new coaching staff. The No. 73 overall player in the country on the Rivals Industry Ranking hadn’t heard much from the new coaches since they arrived this winter, but the Wolverines are now beginning to treat him like a major recruiting target, according to On3’s Ethan McDowell ($).

McDowell also reports that senior director of high school relations Ron Bellamy, defensive coordinator Jay Hill, defensive tackles coach Larry Black and safeties coach Tyler Stockton all visited him at his high school this spring, while general manager Dave Peloquin has been in contact with Gash’s high school coach.

Gash has official visits set up for Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, so the Wolverines are trying to squeeze onto that schedule for the upcoming month of official visits. A visit in the fall is also not out of the question.

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, the Detroit Catholic Central star could play multiple positions at the next level, but Michigan seems to like him best in the secondary since Stockton is his main recruiter.

Recent four-star DL commit breaks down decision

The Wolverines got a nice surprise commitment last week in the form of 2027 four-star defensive lineman Xavier Muhammad. The talented 6-foot-3, 265-pounder was originally going to take some official visits this summer before making his commitment, but he saw enough this spring and decided to shut down his recruitment early.

Muhammad spoke with 247Sports’ Tom Loy ($) after his decision to explain why he picked Michigan.

“Michigan felt like the total package for my family and me,” Muhammad said. “I could really feel how serious they were about developing me, not just as a football player but as a man. The culture, the brotherhood, the academics, the history, and the way they prepare guys for the NFL all stood out to me.”

Muhammad also said how much the coaching staff played a role in his commitment, including first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham.

“Coach Whittingham and the entire staff showed a lot of love to my family and me, and that reaction just confirmed I made the right decision. Coach Whittingham is putting together a program built on great leadership, trust, and consistency. I believe in his vision and appreciate his belief in me as a student athlete.

“Coach (Larry) Black has made an impact on me from day one, and coach (David) Denham especially, building and developing a solid relationship with my family and me.”

Muhammad picked Michigan over other schools like Notre Dame, Miami, Arizona State, TCU, Stanford, Houston, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Four-star RB also explains why he picked Michigan

The Wolverines also added four-star running back Tyson Robinson to their 2027 class over the weekend. The Mississippi native chose Michigan over Alabama, Tennessee and others.

Robinson took back-to-back visits to Ann Arbor this spring, and it sounds like those two trips sealed the deal for him. He spoke with Rivals’ Chad Simmons ($) to explain why.

“The first visit opened my eyes,” Robinson said. “I went up there the first weekend and saw a lot. Then I went back the next weekend, and it felt like the place for me.

“I had more one-on-one time with Coach Alford on that second visit. He was teaching me things I hadn’t seen before — things that could change my game. That made a big difference.”

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