Michigan football’s 2028 recruiting class is shaping up to be the kind of haul that can change the conversation in Ann Arbor.
Kyle Whittingham’s first class on the job already looks strong on paper. It sits in the top 15 and includes 15 blue-chip commitments, with help coming at quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive back, offensive line, defensive line and EDGE. That’s a group built around the spots that matter most when games get tight.
The one clear miss so far has been the five-star tier, especially at wide receiver. Dakota Guerrant of Harper Woods went to Oregon, even though Michigan stayed in the mix. Guerrant doesn’t believe the offense will be as wide open as people have suggested, though that could still leave room for a flip if Bryce Underwood and Jason Beck get the passing game rolling this season.
Even if that never happens, Michigan can’t afford to let the same thing happen with DeAndre Bidden, one of the three five-star prospects in Michigan for the 2028 class. Brice Marich of The Michigan Insider, speaking in an interview with MLive, said the Wolverines have worked their way back into a better position.
"Michigan I think was initially the leader there, but he’s seen some up and downs from the offense to the new coaching staff to even who is position coaches at Michigan. They’ve done a good job kind of regaining some momentum back there and kind of stabilizing their position in his recruitment," Marich said.
Bidden, who is also from Harper Woods, is ranked No. 22 overall in the 2028 class by the 247 Sports composite rankings. Another major target is five-star Antijuan Wilkes from Cass Tech, who checks in at No. 28 overall. Marich called him a "physical freak."
Michigan has a few things working in its favor with Wilkes. Offensive line coach Jim Harding just saw two offensive tackles get drafted in the first round in April, and Wilkes has already visited Ann Arbor four times.
He has also said he wants to win the Heisman Trophy. Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Michigan a 32 percent shot at landing him.
The Cass Tech lineman could wind up as one of the best offensive tackles in Michigan high school history, which makes him an obvious priority. Bidden is a different kind of battle. Oregon remains a major factor, and like Guerrant, he’ll need to be convinced that Michigan’s offense is built for receivers.
Big seasons from Andrew Marsh and J.J. Buchanan would help there. Rivals’ Prediction Machine currently gives Michigan the edge at 51 percent, helped by the fact that Bidden has already been to Ann Arbor 10 times.
Donald Tabor is the other five-star in the mix, though Texas A&M is currently out front. Marich called that one a "tough pull."
There’s also reason for Michigan to keep pushing in Utah. Four-star offensive tackle Mataio Fano is on the radar, and his older brother was just a first-round pick. Major Stokes, who is from Orem, Utah, the same place as Fano, is another top priority.
The bigger picture is clear: Michigan believes it has a real shot to land all four. These are in-state targets, or players who were once in-state targets, and Whittingham already proved he can win a major recruiting fight in Utah by landing Kamden Lopati, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class according to ESPN.
That kind of pull matters.
Whittingham made the most of a difficult 2027 cycle, but 2028 could be the class that really sets the tone. Michigan has a chance to sign multiple five-stars and put together a top-10 group that would give Whittingham the kind of foundation he came to Ann Arbor to build.
It’s a golden opportunity, and Michigan has to cash it in.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Took A Costly QB Recruiting Hit For 2028
Michigans recruiting momentum has been strong in the 2027 cycle, but the staff is already shifting its attention to the 2028 quarterback board, where the next wave of targets will shape the classs ceiling. That makes the latest development sting a little more than a routine miss, especially with the Wolverines trying to stay ahead of the curve at the sports most important position.
Lukas Prock had been one of the names tied closely to Michigan early in the process, and his decision to head elsewhere forces the Wolverines to keep moving. The good news is that the board is still populated with options, including Donald Tabron, Kamden Lopati, Carter Zingelmann and Kaden Craft, but the early loss means Michigan has to be sharper about where it pushes next and how quickly it can settle on a new priority. [Read more 🡒]
Cass Techs Star QB Is At The Center Of A Big Debate
A familiar summer ritual has turned into a statewide quarterback debate, with the Detroit Free Press opening a public vote for the Buffalo Wild Wings Best Quarterback for 2026 and a long list of Michigan high school passers in the mix. For Michigan fans, the name that jumps out is Cass Techs star, who enters the conversation after a season that put him firmly among the states most productive young quarterbacks and kept the Technicians rolling for most of the year.
He threw for 2,819 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, numbers that help explain why his profile has grown so quickly beyond Detroit. Cass Tech also spent most of the year unbeaten before the streak ended in the state title game against Catholic Central, which only adds to the sense that this vote is measuring more than just raw production. Voting remains open until 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and the race has the feel of one that could say as much about reputation as it does about last seasons box scores. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Already Pushing Hard For A Quarterback Fans Will Watch Closely
Michigans quarterback search is already moving well beyond the usual early-summer groundwork, and Kaden Craft has become one of the names worth tracking. The North Carolina prospect has the kind of physical profile and playmaking ability that fits what the Wolverines want under offensive coordinator Jason Beck, which is why Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. have been active in his recruitment.
Craft has drawn attention from several other programs, but Michigan has made a clear push and is leaning into the relationship-building part of the process. His time in Ann Arbor gave Beck and Detmer Jr. a chance to make their case in person, and for a staff trying to establish itself with a new offensive identity, landing a quarterback like Craft would be a meaningful early win. [Read more 🡒]