Michigan’s reputation as a factory for edge rushers is doing work again.
The Wolverines have already built a strong case as EDGE U, with alumni like Aidan Hutchinson - perhaps the NFL’s best pure pass rusher - and Derrick Moore both helping reinforce that image. After Saturday’s win over Oklahoma, that pipeline appears to be rolling right along under Kyle Whittingham.
Now Michigan is trending for another major defensive target: Javonte Eldridge, the top-ranked player in Indiana for the 2028 class. The four-star EDGE from Fort Wayne has drawn plenty of attention from nearby programs, including Indiana, the defending national champions, and Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have hosted him four times, while Indiana has had the in-state prospect on campus twice.
Eldridge made his first visit to Michigan for the Oklahoma game, and the Wolverines clearly made a strong impression. Rivals national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong backed that up with an expert projection in Michigan’s favor, and the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine now gives the Wolverines a 95 percent chance to land his commitment.
At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Eldridge checks in at No. 219 overall in the Rivals rankings. He would also give Michigan another big recruiting win in Indiana, where the Wolverines already landed a blue-chip pass rusher in the 2027 class, Ifeanyi Emedobi.
Michigan is also in a good spot with two other 2028 pass rushers, Asa Burch and Major Stokes. Burch, a Michigan legacy from Ohio, has been projected to commit to the Wolverines, and Stokes, the top-ranked player in Utah, has been projected there as well.
Whittingham’s first recruiting class has been solid, even with less time to build relationships with the 2027 group. Michigan is still working to flip some names in that class, including Dakota Guerrant and Deandre Bidden, but the bigger picture is clear: the Wolverines are loading up on defense, and EDGE remains the headliner.
In Other News...
Michigan Gets An Injury Lift But One Roster Concern Still Lingers
Michigan is set to get a healthier look heading into its matchup with UTEP, with offensive lineman Evan Link and edge rusher Carter Meadows both expected to be available after sitting out the previous game with injuries. Running back Jordan Marshall is also expected to go despite some minor issues, giving the Wolverines a chance to regain a bit more depth on both sides of the ball as they move deeper into the early part of the season.
The one spot still worth watching is tight end Hogan Hansen, who remains questionable, leaving a little uncertainty in a position group that has already had to manage its share of moving parts. Michigan also knows it will be without Andrew Babalola for the foreseeable future after a setback in his ACL recovery, a reminder that while some injury news is trending in the right direction, the roster is not fully out of the woods yet. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans 2026-27 Schedule Just Raised The Stakes For Rivalry Season
The Michigan mens basketball team now knows the shape of its 2026-27 grind, with the full schedule out and the Big Ten having already set dates and times for conference play. It is a slate built around the usual league landmines, with 20 Big Ten games spread across 16 home dates and 10 road trips, plus the nonconference events and the league tournament in Indianapolis.
The familiar rivalry stretch stands out immediately, especially with Michigan State and Ohio State on the docket, along with conference trips that will send the Wolverines to both USC and UCLA. The schedule gives the program its road map for the season, but it also leaves the real intrigue in how those rivalry nights and cross-country league tests will play once the calendar starts to turn. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Found A Pass Rusher At The Perfect Time
Through two games, Michigans defense has looked every bit like the kind of unit that can carry a team while the offense sorts itself out. The Wolverines have allowed only one touchdown in eight quarters, and a big reason for that early success has been defensive end Dom Nichols, who has quickly become a disruptive presence off the edge with 10 quarterback pressures and a hand in sacks in both games.
That kind of emergence matters now because the schedule is about to get a lot less forgiving, with several top Big Ten quarterbacks on the horizon. If Nichols keeps building on this start and the rest of Michigans front continues to develop internally, the Wolverines could be in position to make life miserable for opposing passers exactly when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]