University of Kwazulu-Natal

Michigan Football S 2026 Class Top Targets Still In Play

Bonisiwe Shabane
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michigan football s 2026 class top targets still in play

At this point, Michigan football has the bulk of its 2026 class intact after a hot recruiting month of June and the start of July. Yes, the Wolverines missed out on two of their top targets this month with five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell choosing Syracuse and four-star offensive lineman John Turntine III committing to Texas. The fun of the past few weeks, where head coach Sherrone Moore would post a pair of eyeballs indicating a commitment was nigh, and that seeming to be an everyday occurrence, is now a... With that in mind, we have four top remaining targets on the board, a few lesser targets, as well as some strategy thoughts that may indicate more of what the class may look like... Michigan's likely top overall target in 2026, the Wolverines have been after Hiter for over a year. The Wolverines continue to be in a solid spot for the top running back in the class, but are fending off primarily Tennessee, but also Ohio State and Georgia.

The Wolverines looked like exactly the type of school that would appeal to the elite linebacker, who officially visited in June. He had glowing remarks coming out of the visit, but the maize and blue had tailed off, with Abrams telling Rivals they were running fourth. With Abrams set to decide soon, will the Wolverines make a move? They're battling Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon. Primarily a Michigan vs. Oregon battle, the Wolverines did not look like the spot a month ago, and Ohio State appeared to have all the momentum.

After a midweek visit before the final official visit weekend, the Wolverines surged, but might not have enough momentum to overtake the Ducks, who appear to be in pole position. ANN ARBOR – The first two days of the early signing period featured some unexpected twists and turns for the Michigan football program, but it didn’t move in the national rankings after the dust... The Wolverines still sit at No. 11 in the 247Sports Composite rankings after losing two top-200 recruits to other schools Thursday but adding another from an SEC program. Michigan briefly fell down to 26 recruits in the 2026 class with four-star receiver Zion Robinson flipping to Stanford and four-star edge Julian Walker flipping to South Carolina, but it made another addition later... All 27 prospects have signed.

The class consists of two five-stars, 12 four-stars, 12 three-stars and an unrated long snapper. Here’s a closer look at each commit: Meadows committed to Michigan in June over other finalists Ohio State, Penn State and South Carolina and soared in the national rankings this fall, climbing more than... The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder has all the makings of an elite, athletic pass rusher and could see the field early. On3/Rivals released its updated recruiting rankings for the 2026 recruiting class on Monday afternoon. Several Michigan commits moved up and down. The highest ranked prospect in the class is five-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga EDGE Carter Meadows, who moved up one spot to No.

5 overall nationally. Meadows is Michigan’s lone five-star commit this cycle. Ranked as the No. 2 EDGE in the country, Meadows is a tall, long pass rusher with plus athleticism and one of the highest ceilings in the class. Meadows committed to Michigan over Ohio State and others late last month. Two other Michigan commits were featured in the Top 100.

Billings (Mont.) West tight end Matt Ludwig stayed put an No. 91 overall, while Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha offensive lineman Malakai Lee dropped eight spots to No. 93 overall. Michigan’s biggest rankings riser was Liberty Hill (Texas) High defensive lineman Alister Vallejo, who moved up from a three-star recruit to the No. 269 overall prospect nationally. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Vallejo projects as a three-technique and shares similarities with former Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.

The recruiting industry was shaken up recently when On3 acquired Rivals, though it took a little time for everything to merge late last month. While we now see two different Michigan sites with On3 user interfaces, there still wasn't a unified recruiting ranking -- as there were separate rankings for both On3 and Rivals. But as of Monday, it's all Rivals with no more On3 rankings. Now that the two different rankings are now unified, that means so have some of the recruiting rankings for many of the Wolverines' commitments in 2026. Here is how each of the current pledges who are in the top 300 ranks now, according to the new-look Rivals ratings, sorted from highest to lowest. Cornerback Andre Clarke is rated a four-star but does not have a numerical ranking.

The disappointment from Michigan football missing out on five-star wideout Calvin Russell is still lingering. Something that would help is if the Wolverines added to their 2026 class, which currently has 20 commitments, 11 of which are ranked in the top 200 of the 247 Sports composite rankings. Michigan is on the path to a top-10 class for the second year in a row. Even after missing out on Russell, the Wolverines have three talented receivers committed, including two in the top 150 overall, Zion Robinson and Travis Johnson. Jaylen Pile is also underrated as a three-star prospect. There are still some key targets on the board, and here are five that could help the Wolverines sign another top-10, or even a top-5 recruiting class.

The top target on the board, Savion Hiter, is expected to make a decision "soon." That's what Hiter posted on his social media recently after taking official visits to Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia, and Ohio... ANN ARBOR – The first two days of the early signing period featured some unexpected twists and turns for the Michigan football program, but it didn’t move in the national rankings after the dust... The Wolverines still sit at No. 11 in the 247Sports Composite rankings after losing two top-200 recruits to other schools Thursday but adding another from an SEC program. Michigan briefly fell down to 26 recruits in the 2026 class with four-star receiver Zion Robinson flipping to Stanford and four-star edge Julian Walker flipping to South Carolina, but it made another addition later... All 27 prospects have signed.

The class consists of two five-stars, 12 four-stars, 12 three-stars and an unrated long snapper. Here’s a closer look at each commit: Meadows committed to Michigan in June over other finalists Ohio State, Penn State and South Carolina and soared in the national rankings this fall, climbing more than 60 spots. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder has all the makings of an elite, athletic pass rusher and could see the field early. Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down the Michigan football class of 2026 recruits who made their commitment to the Wolverines official during the early signing day period, which runs Wednesday through Friday. School: Gonzaga College High School (Washington).

247 Sports' composite ranking: Five stars, No. 6 overall, No. 2 edge, No. 1 in DC. The buzz: One of the most explosive players in the nation, Meadows has a basketball background – with reported Division I offers – before he focused on football. His athleticism makes him a future NFL talent.

Even though he remains a bit raw, don't be surprised if he makes an impact in 2026. School: Louisa County (Mineral, Virginia). ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan set a high bar for its 2026 recruiting class by signing the No. 6 class in 2025 and landing the nation’s No. 1 prospect in quarterback Bryce Underwood.

The big question: Was the 2025 class an isolated phenomenon aided by having a generational quarterback prospect playing a few miles down the road? Or is it a sign that Sherrone Moore has put Michigan in the upper echelon of programs competing for five-star prospects in the era of revenue sharing? The 2026 recruiting class will be telling in that regard. Michigan has commitments from three players: cornerback Brody Jennings, offensive lineman Bear McWhorter and wide receiver Jaylen Pile. That list will grow as players make their spring recruiting trips and schedule official visits for June. There’s no player of Underwood’s caliber to be the face of the class, but Michigan has assembled an ambitious recruiting board that includes the 247Sports Composite’s No.

1 prospect, Jackson Cantwell, and a host of other elite recruits. Here are 10 key players Michigan is targeting in the 2026 cycle. Offensive line coach Grant Newsome had some huge recruiting wins in the 2025 class with five-star tackle Andrew Babalola and top-50 prospect Ty Haywood. For 2026, the Wolverines will take their chances with Cantwell, the No. 1 player in the composite rankings. Cantwell’s recruitment is still in the early stages, but Michigan is in line for an official visit, along with Georgia, Oregon, Miami and Missouri.

However this one shakes out, Moore is showing a willingness to pursue the best offensive line prospects in the country, a notable development for a program that wants to build on its success in... On3 updated its rankings for the 2026 recruiting class on Monday afternoon. Here is a look at where some of Michigan’s top targets landed. RB Savion Hiter, Mineral (Va.) Louisa County — Hiter moved up 25 spots from No. 45 to No. 20.

He is one of Michigan’s top overall targets for next cycle and is set to visit this weekend. He named Michigan in his Top 5 along with Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee. OL Darius Gray, Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s — Gray moved up 18 spots from No. 43 to No. 25.

He visited Michigan in the spring and is looking to get back to Ann Arbor soon. Michigan is in the mix along with Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina and others. DB Simeon Caldwell, Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles — Caldwell moved up four spots from No. 49 to No. 45. He visited Michigan this summer and camped at both linebacker and safety.

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