Michigan football cracks top 10 in ESPN recruiting rankings again
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Michigan football has filled out the bulk of its 2027 recruiting class, but it's still working to bolster its coffers on the heels of summer official visit season.
The Wolverines added another top-flight recruit to the fold on Thursday in four-star linebacker Frederrick Ford, and are still waiting on decisions from some other highly-touted prospects like safety Marcus Jones, cornerback Monsanna Torbert, and offensive lineman Lincoln Mageo. But in the meantime, the maize and blue are rising up the rankings.
ESPN updated its recruiting rankings on Friday, and Michigan is back into the top 10 after having dropped to 12th nationally. Now, the Wolverines are ninth, making them the top-rated Big Ten school, ahead of No. 10 Oregon, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 12 UCLA, and No. 15 USC. They are behind Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Texas in the rankings.
Previous ranking: 12
SC Next 300 commits: 11Top offensive prospect: QB Kamden LopatiTop defensive prospect: CB Tavares Harrington
Michigan begins a new era under Kyle Whittingham, who tapped into his Utah roots to land his quarterback in this cycle. Kamden Lopati, out of West HS in Salt Lake City, has demonstrated a high football IQ and sees the field well while possessing a strong arm and good mobility. A potential key target for Lopati is WR Quentin Burrell, a big, physical receiver with good speed and body control from nearby Illinois. The offense should also benefit from the addition of SC Next 300 TE Colt Lumpris, a flip from Alabama. He possesses a big frame (6-foot-6, 240 pounds) and can be a tough matchup for defenses as he runs well and can use his size to make contested catches. All three players rose up the board in the June SC Next 300 update.
Tyson Robinson, a running back out of Mississippi, gives this class another offensive weapon to build on. He has good power and vision and demonstrated great effort and coachability during multiple in-person evaluations. To help protect their offensive skill additions, the Wolverines have landed several OLs, including SC Next 300 prospects Sidney Rouleau and Jakari Lipsey as well as Louis Esposito, who has made noticeable strides over the past year in build and execution and was OL MVP at the Under Armour Chicago camp tour stop.
ESPN has tended to be a bit higher on Michigan football's commits this cycle, with Rivals not far behind. 247Sports has been the most sluggish when it comes to ranking the Wolverines' prospects in the 2027 class. Michigan is 21st in the 247Sports team rankings, while Rivals has the maize and blue at No. 13.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football cracks top 10 in ESPN recruiting rankings again
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