Michigan’s first recruiting class under Kyle Whittingham already has the kind of shape fans can get excited about, even if it didn’t come together perfectly.
The Wolverines landed some important pieces, but they also came up short on a few major names. Five-star Joshua Dobson was one of the painful misses, and five-star receiver Dakota Guerrant was the one that really stung. Michigan also lost out on four-star tight end Anthony Cartwright, another in-state target, when Oregon - a Big Ten rival - pulled him away.
Dobson’s decision hurt, but Michigan did manage to salvage some momentum by flipping four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert out of Ohio. That one could age very well. It already looks like a strong addition, and there’s a real chance it looks even better a few years down the line.
Guerrant, though, was the biggest loss. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound standout from Harper Woods would have fit cleanly into the class and would have been a natural pairing with Bryce Underwood, with Tommy Carr potentially in the mix later on as well. Instead, he chose Oregon, and his reason was plain: he didn’t trust Michigan to throw the ball enough, and he didn’t believe the offense would be good for a wide receiver.
That’s the issue Michigan has to answer on the field this fall. Whittingham is going to lean on the run game, but the offense still gave Devon Dampier room to throw 24 touchdown passes in 2025, and Bryce Underwood should benefit from that.
Now the focus shifts to 2028, where Michigan appears determined not to let another elite in-state receiver slip away. Deandre Bidden is already on the radar.
The Harper Woods product is 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, and ranked No. 22 overall in the 2027 class, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Ethan McDowell of Rivals reported that Michigan is "already in the mix" for Bidden and other 2028 wideouts.
247 Sports lists both Oregon and Michigan as "warm" for Bidden. Micah Simon is the lead recruiter, and he played a key role in landing Quentin Burrell, a top-100 wideout from the Chicago area.
That matters, because Bidden would be a huge get. Michigan already took a positive step with Burrell, and landing Bidden would be another one entirely - the kind of commitment that changes the conversation at receiver.
The Wolverines can understand why Guerrant got away, but they’re still going to try to flip him. More than anything, though, they need to prove they can be a place where receivers want to play. If they do that, it could keep another major in-state miss from happening in 2028.
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Michigan Just Made An Early Recruiting Move MSU Fans Will Hate
Michigan basketball is making an early push on the recruiting trail, and the latest offer says plenty about how Mike Boynton Jr. wants to operate. The Wolverines have extended a scholarship to Mateen Cleaves Jr., a 2028 point guard at Dream City Christian in Arizona who is already drawing attention from a growing list of Division I programs.
Cleaves Jr. is still at the beginning of his high school career, but the interest around him is real, with Michigan State among the schools already in the mix. For Michigan, the move is as much about getting in early as it is about the player himself, and it sets up a recruitment that figures to be followed closely for reasons that go well beyond the usual early offer chatter. [Read more 🡒]
Warde Manuel Cloud Over Michigan Just Got Even More Serious
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Moore was fired after an affair with a subordinate became public, and the fallout has continued to widen as the school examines what else may have been uncovered inside the athletic department. A law-firm investigation is believed to have produced findings, but the report has not been released publicly, leaving plenty of questions hanging over one of the most important jobs in Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]
Whittingham Is Answering Michigans Biggest Recruiting Question Fast
Michigans 2027 recruiting class has moved into rare air early, with Rivals slotting it 10th nationally and the group already built around 21 commitments and 15 four-star prospects. For a program that has long sold itself on development and structure, the class is also showing a broader reach than usual, with blue-chip talent spread across multiple positions and commitments coming from well beyond the states borders.
Kyle Whittingham has helped answer one of Michigans biggest recruiting questions by showing the Wolverines can still win nationally in the NIL era, not just in their own backyard. The class has now drawn pledges from 10 states outside Michigan, including several traditional hotbeds, and the trajectory suggests the Wolverines are close to locking in a top-10 haul with little room left for major movement. [Read more 🡒]