Michigan came out on top in a fast-moving recruiting race for one of the 2027 class’s elite defensive backs, landing four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr. over Louisville, Ohio State and Indiana.
Torbert announced his decision Wednesday evening and chose the Wolverines after taking official visits to Ohio State on June 12 and Michigan on June 19. Once that Michigan visit wrapped, the momentum shifted hard in the Wolverines’ direction, with multiple On3 Sports recruiting experts later projecting him to land in Ann Arbor.
The Ohio native had originally been committed to Indiana earlier this year, but that pledge didn’t last. As his profile rose and more major programs piled on with offers, Torbert reopened things and drew attention from a long list of suitors. He finished with 34 offers, including Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana, Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Florida State.
Louisville made a late run after losing its top-ranked 2027 commitment, Allen Evans, who flipped from the Cardinals to Vanderbilt in June. That opened the door for Jeff Brohm and Vince Marrow to turn their focus to other targets, and Torbert quickly became one of the biggest names on their board. Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong reported that Louisville had entered the mix late in June, but by then the Cardinals were trying to catch up to a battle that had already been building between Michigan and Ohio State.
Torbert’s decision was one Louisville fans had hoped might break their way, but instead the Cardinals watched Michigan close. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound cornerback is a unanimous four-star recruit in the 2027 cycle, with rankings as high as No. 70 overall, No. 9 among cornerbacks and No. 3 among players from Ohio.
A break from Hayes Fawcett’s announcement summed up Torbert’s confidence in the moment: “I guess I’m the villain now, GOBLUE”
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