How former Utah players are helping recruit for Michigan Football

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Preparations for the 2026 college football season are getting underway next week with the beginning of spring ball. The next month or so will be huge for new head coach Kyle Whittingham, as he has to navigate the Michigan Wolverines through practices and also find success during a crucial recruiting period. Let’s catch up on the latest in the recruiting world in today’s Recruiting Roundup:

Former Utah football players become Michigan recruiting tool

A top target for Kyle Whittingham and new offensive line coach Jim Harding is 2027 four-star Lincoln Mageo, and Harding recently used two of his former Utah stars to help his recruiting pitch.

Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu could be first round NFL Draft picks, and Harding was with them recently at the NFL Combine. He took this as an opportunity to help recruit some of the guys he is going after in the 2027 class, including Mageo.

“(Harding) sent me a picture of him with Spencer and Caleb at the combine on Saturday and told me to watch them on Sunday,” Mageo told On3 ($). “Then he sent me another picture with them on Monday and let me know that they spent every college snap with him and he talked about development. I watched those guys go through drills on Sunday and they killed it. My OL trainer coach (Erik) Magnuson and coach Joe Staley worked with Caleb for a couple months to get him ready for the combine, too. Their success definitely checks the development box for coach Harding and that’s something I’m really looking at when making my final decision.”

Harding has also used Fano and Lomu in that pitch to 2027 four-star offensive lineman Jackson Roper.

“When I took my first visit to Utah this fall, coach Harding highlighted the success of both those guys,” Roper said. “Not only their athletic ability and their presence on the field but the way they conduct their business off the field. Their leadership and the way they held each and every player in that o-line room accountable for being the best player possible was special and really set them apart from other talented guys in their class. Honestly, the development of both Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu is a major part of my interest in Michigan and my faith in coach Harding. When you look at coach Harding’s track record of developing first-in-class talent at the o-line position it’s as good as anyone else out there.  To think he could generate those kinds of results at Utah, imagine what he can do at Michigan.”

Michigan fans were excited when Harding got hired for good reason. He is outstanding at identifying talent and developing players into NFL-ready prospects. And it sure seems likes he is pretty savvy on the recruiting trail in trying to attract players to Ann Arbor.

Kyle Whittingham in contact with new DL target

On the opposite side of the ball, one player to watch is 2027 three-star defensive lineman Ohimai Ozolua. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Chicago native has been contacted by multiple coaches on Michigan’s staff, including Kyle Whittingham himself.

“Yes, I have heard some from the new staff and mainly the defensive line coaches (at Michigan), but I just talked to coach Whitt for the first time last week,” Ozolua told The Michigan Insider ($). “It was good (talking with coach Whittingham). He was just excited to get to build the relationship.”

Ozolua will be visiting Michigan on March 26.

He only recently started playing football this past year, but he already holds some impressive offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Miami, Iowa, Michigan State and more.

Four-star DL discusses Michigan interest

Another Chicago recruit to pay attention to is 2027 four-star defensive lineman Brayden Parks. Like a lot of recruits, the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder is interested to see if this new coaching staff can get the program back to where it was during the Jim Harbaugh era. He is confident that will happen.

“They said watch them flip around Michigan, make Michigan great again, what it’s been like in the past,” Parks told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($). “I think he’s going to do that this year. Him, coach (Jay) Hill, the team, I think they’re able to flip it around, get back to where Michigan is usually at.”

Michigan’s new defensive tackles coach Larry Black offered Parks when he was at Vanderbilt, so the two of them have had a relationship for a while.

“He’s a high energy dude — a young, intelligent, great person,” Parks said. “He’ll honestly get on you when he needs to, but it’s always from a place of love, and he always just wants the best out of you. He always wants the best for you and he sees the vision I see and my parents see. I think he just wants to help me get there and reach it.”

If Michigan impresses Parks on his upcoming spring visit on April 2, he will likely come back for an official. Michigan is battling Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois, Georgia and Tennessee for his services.

Quick Hitters

• 2027 three-star wide receiver Tre Britton, who attends Belleville High School, will be visiting Michigan on April 16.

• Michigan extended an offer to 2028 tight end Connor Arant this week.

• 2027 four-star defensive lineman Xavier Muhammad will be taking an official visit to Michigan the weekend of May 29, according to On3’s McDowell ($).

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