Michigan added another major piece to its 2027 class on Wednesday, landing elite cornerback Monsanna Torbert over Ohio State after a recruitment that swung hard during Victor’s Weekend.
Torbert, a four-star defensive back from Princeton High just north of downtown Cincinnati, entered the process with the Buckeyes holding the edge. By the end of his official visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan had done enough to change the picture and secure its first commit south of the state line under the new coaching staff. Louisville also stayed in the mix as a dangerous dark horse because of NIL, but the Wolverines closed the deal.
The commitment carries real weight on the recruiting board. Torbert is ranked No. 4 in Ohio and No. 97 overall in the 2027 class, and he also sits inside the Top 10 nationally at cornerback. He becomes Michigan’s third Top 100 commit in the class, joining wide receiver Quentin Burrell and offensive tackle Jakari Lipsey.
The visit mattered, but so did the way Michigan approached him after the staff change. Torbert had already made it clear the new group stood out to him.
“Honestly, once the new staff came in, it picked up tremendously,” Torbert previously told The Michigan Insider. “With the old staff, we were having conversations back and forth, but once the new staff came in, it gave off a vibe like this staff is different than the other staff.
I was like, ‘I’m gonna take a look at it.’ Then once they offered me, I was like, it’s a no-brainer.
I gotta go see it.”
Michigan’s push on Torbert was backed by cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford and company, who clearly made the official visit and the weeks leading into it count.
There’s also a strong evaluation behind the pledge. 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins described Torbert in December as an electric two-way athlete whose best future fit appears to be in the secondary, citing his range, quickness and tracking ability from a single-high look.
Ivins also noted that Torbert shows the burst and agility to handle man coverage, is willing in run support, and could eventually need to add mass after coming in under 5-foot-11 ahead of his junior year. The projection: a possible multi-year Power Four contributor with versatility at spots like field corner, and maybe even a look at wide receiver.
Torbert’s high school production backs up the profile. After transferring to Princeton from nearby Taft, he finished his junior season with 40 tackles and three interceptions, and two of those picks went back for touchdowns. At Taft, he also played quarterback and produced more than 2,000 yards of total offense.
Michigan’s 2027 defensive back haul now includes five commitments: Torbert, four-star cornerback Blake Jenkins, four-star cornerback Darius Johnson, four-star nickel/safety Tavares Harrington and three-star safety Charles Woodson Jr.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Got A New Twist In The Matthew Weiss Case
A federal judge has given Matthew Weiss a partial win in the case that has hovered over Michigan football for months, narrowing what investigators can use as the former coordinator prepares to fight a sprawling set of charges. Weiss is accused of unauthorized access and aggravated identity theft tied to allegations that he hacked into student-athletes accounts, and the case now moves forward with one of the key battlegrounds centered on how the evidence was gathered.
The ruling leaves Michigan waiting to see how much of the broader record will still matter when the case reaches trial. Weiss still faces a serious federal exposure if convicted, and the calendar is already set with a September 22, 2025 start date, giving both sides a long runway before the next major turn in a saga that has already added another uncomfortable chapter for the program. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Sent Indiana A Huge 2026 Message
Michigans 2026 path already looks like one of the leagues toughest, with Oklahoma, Indiana and Ohio State all stacked into a schedule that could shape both the Big Ten race and the broader Playoff picture. For a program that expects to be in the mix every year, that kind of late-season gauntlet leaves little room for a slow start, and it puts even more attention on how Bryce Underwood handles the pressure points that tripped him up in past high-profile matchups.
Indiana sits in the middle of that stretch as the game that could tell the story of Michigans season. If the Wolverines arrive there still in contention, the meeting with the reigning national champions becomes a major test of staying power, especially after a brutal run through Penn State and Oklahoma. And if the Big Ten title market is any indication, Michigan is already being treated like a team with something to prove before the calendar even turns to November. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Lost One Of Its Biggest 2027 Recruiting Battles
Michigan spent a good portion of the 2027 cycle making a serious run at Josh Dobson, and the Wolverines had plenty of reasons to believe they were in the mix for one of the countrys most coveted defensive backs. The five-star cornerback, ranked No. 12 overall in the class, made multiple trips to Ann Arbor and even got to campus for an official visit in mid-June, a sign Michigan was getting real traction with a recruit who drew national attention early.
Still, Michigans secondary board is hardly empty after Dobsons choice. The Wolverines continue to hold commitments from five defensive backs in the 2027 class, giving the staff a solid foundation even after coming up short in one of the cycles biggest head-to-head battles. For a program that keeps selling NFL development and defensive back success, the pursuit of more elite help in the back end is far from over. [Read more 🡒]