Mailbag: Michigan Football recruiting philosophies, in-state efforts, more

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Maize n Brew wanted to know what’s on the minds of fans concerning recruiting. Questions were submitted to The Feed message board by the readers, and we have the answers. Here is the first installment of our Mailbag series.

What is Michigan’s philosophy going to be regarding the importance of high school recruiting vs transfer portal and maybe compare it against the two previous regimes? – Truth12345 and Dead2Sin

The thing that stands out to me for Michigan with the transfer portal is how the program was able to keep a good number of the rostered players last season from exploring opportunities elsewhere and remain loyal to the brand. The challenge for any new head coach in this era is retention, and I think the work done in the winter and spring paid off. Obviously, head coach Kyle Whittingham took advantage of the portal with several former Utah players who are instant impact guys like John Henry Daley and Smith Snowden. Looking to next offseason, the goal will be to use the portal to plug in players to holes on the roster.

High school recruiting is affected across the country by the portal, where the gap between fringe Power 4 talent and the names destined for the Big Ten and SEC has dramatically narrowed. We’ll continue to see more players at the prep level find a home in the G6, and then work towards getting a shot with bigger programs. So that means a sharpened emphasis on the four-stars and higher. That’s not speaking on behalf of only the Wolverines, it’s every team.

As for the type of athlete Michigan wants right now, I do see it being synonymous with Jim Harbaugh’s tenure. I wasn’t around during Sherrone Moore’s administration, so I will skip him. However, I know the standards remain consistent across the board — high character, pillar of the community, commitment to educational pursuits, and a knack for physicality and attitude. For Whittingham, much like Harbaugh, as seen from his time at Utah, it starts up front. Dominate the trenches and the rest will take care of itself.

Do you have thoughts on what the final number will be? Any positions that you feel desperately need to be added to the class before it is final? – jason sinclair

Possible surprise flips in the 2027 class will only happen if Michigan can get those guys to Ann Arbor before National Signing Day. Until then, we can talk about who the program continues to be in communication with, as five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant sits right at the top. So much has been written about the Wolverines not giving up with him since committing to Oregon, but the central idea remains whether a return visit occurs. He didn’t end up officially visiting the Wolverines this summer, so that’s still on the table.

I wrote about three-star Georgia Tech defensive back Larry Moon earlier this week, as that’s one to keep a close eye on. Five-star Joshua Dobson also continues to be a recruit to keep in mind. An under-the-radar player I like is cornerback DJ Mitchell, who’s committed to Miami (OH).

Barring any surprises, the Wolverines will open its season against Western Michigan with 21 commits in the 2027 class. A few positions are set like at running back, edge, offensive line and tight end. It would not shock me if they land another defender or two. A name that comes to mind for linebacker is Ethan Hauser — he is teammates with linebacker commit Brayden “Tank” Watson at Buford (Ga.) High and pledged to Vanderbilt in May. Another player to know is four-star Tennessee safety commit Marcus Jones. For the defensive line, a statement win over Indiana at home in October could allow the door to open for Michigan to go after four-star Hoosiers pledge Reinaldo Perez.

We need to lockdown Michigan again!! – GideonC

We accepted this submission despite it not being a formal question, but the point still stands. Fans see the assembly line of talent come out of Detroit, its suburbs and the surrounding parts of the state while carrying the belief they must stay home. While that may not be true for some who see a path to success outside Michigan’s borders — or who built a better relationship with a coaching staff elsewhere — the rest have grown up understanding the lineage of the Wolverines and wanting to be a part of that.

Now, who are current local targets to know as the fall season kicks off in the state of Michigan this Thursday? Here’s a list of top names.

• 2028 OT Antijuan Wilkes, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech – The No. 5 overall player in the 2028 class.

• 2028 EDGE Jayden Bell, Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice – Going to be a hard fought battle with the other Power 4 mainstays nationwide right down to the end.

• 2028 WR Deandre Bidden, Harper Woods (Mich.) High – The best wideout prospect I’ve evaluated live since Chris Henry Jr.

• 2028 DB Marquis Ray, Saline (Mich.) High – Son of Marcus Ray, heavily favored to side with Michigan.

• 2028 CB LaMarcus Army, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech – Another target in the secondary that the Wolverines are gaining a lot of momentum with.

• 2029 QB Case Campbell, Saline (Mich.) High – Son of Mark Campbell, yields a Michigan offer.

There will be more who enter the picture as the months go on, but Whittingham and his assistants have already done a fine job of ensuring a priority feel is given to the players above.

Can you provide a list of our best shots at elite players at these two positions (DL and LB) currently for the 2028 class? – rjnova

I will start with the 2028 linebackers, as there are currently nine next cycle at the position expected to be at The Big House this season. An in-state thumper coming in for the opener is four-star athlete Camden Noe. Texas native Brayden Bonik, who’s spoken to us in the past about his high Michigan interest, is set to fly north for the Penn State clash. A pair of four-stars from North Carolina planning on making the trip include Skylar Alston and Ryan Peterson.

I believe Michigan is putting early focus on the following 2028 defensive linemen — Aedyn Havili, Tory Clark, Ayden Woodruff, Tyzon Swann, Keagan Covington, Simon Nuamah and Caleb Tucker. This is not in addition to projected edge rushers. All of the above should play as a five-technique or further inside. Overall, it’s a little too early to call my shot on any of the aforementioned, but that’ll certainly change once we’re deeper into the season and later Junior Days in January. Keep an eye out on Ohio State commit Jameer Whyce, too, as Michigan just offered him Monday.

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