Michigan added a notable name to its 2027 class on Wednesday, and the story behind the commitment makes it stand out even more. Four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert, a Cincinnati native with Ohio State pushing hard, chose the Wolverines after what he described as a strong connection with people inside the program.
For Torbert, the pull toward Michigan started with conversations. He said talks with current and former Michigan players from Ohio helped shape how he viewed the program, pointing to Coach Coombs, coach Black, Jordan Marshall, Rod Moore, Charles Woodson Sr., and Aden Reeder.
”Talking to other Ohio guys about Michigan, they just spoke so highly,” Torbert told 247Sports’ Tom Loy ($). “Coach Coombs, coach Black, Jordan Marshall, Rod Moore, Charles Woodson Sr., and Aden Reeder.
Building a relationship with Charles Woodson Sr. has been huge. He is a great role model and one of the best defensive backs to ever play.
Great players to learn from, with him being around the program a lot.”
Torbert also said the atmosphere around the program sealed the deal for him and his family.
”I chose Michigan because, from the moment I stepped in the building, it felt like home,” Torbert added. “It is the people who make the place.
All of the staff and recruiting staff had open arms to my family. My mom never tells me that school feels like home, but she said that about Michigan, so I knew it was different.
Also, Michigan’s new defensive staff is a group of defensive gurus. They cause havoc and turnovers on the backend.
“Coach Whittingham is a really big family guy. Having his son and brother on the staff shows how important family is to him.
My family is my why. Also, I’m excited to play for Coach Whittingham because his game preparation is like no other.
He is ready to attack the game like he is playing alongside the players.”
Torbert isn’t just joining the class - he’s already thinking about who he can bring with him. He plans to recruit his younger brother, Sean, in the 2028 class, along with 2028 four-star wide receiver Lorenzo McMullen Jr.
Michigan’s week also included another commitment with a far different path. Three-star linebacker Weston Port, listed in the 2025/2027 class, is headed to Ann Arbor after a winding recruiting journey that included an earlier commitment to UCLA, a decommitment in May, and a mission trip that has kept him away from college football.
Port originally drew interest from Jim Harbaugh while he was in high school, then signed with UCLA in Dec. 2024.
He never joined the Bruins, though, because he is still on a two-year mission trip in Spain and the Canary Islands. While he was away, Michigan linebackers coach Alex Whittingham connected with Port’s father, Barry, who has been handling his son’s social media during the trip.
“Out of the blue last week, Alex texted me and he said, ‘Hey, listen, any chance I can get on a call with Wes?’ Luckily, his mission leader is letting him do those during the evenings when he got home at 10 o’clock his time he was allowing him to do some Zoom calls,” Barry told Rivals’ Adam Gorney ($).
“He’s done a couple dozen of those and we got him on with Alex and Alex gave him the pitch. He said, ‘I’m looking for a solid, strong middle linebacker, someone who’s good at run defense and someone who could go downhill and make plays in the backfield.’ He said, ‘There are three or four guys we’re looking at but you really fit the bill for us.’”
Barry said the move is a dream for Weston, who has long wanted to play in the Big Ten.
“Now it’s even better than it was before,” Barry said. “They’re still a blue-blood and they have an amazing, proven head coach and a linebacker coach who spent eight years in the NFL under Andy Reid.”
Weston is set to enroll at Michigan in January.
The Wolverines may not land Brayton Feister, a four-star athlete in the 2027 class, but they could still have a shot with his younger brother, 2028 four-star linebacker Brydon Feister. Brydon said Michigan’s staff has made repeated visits and left a strong impression, even as other programs have entered the mix.
“Michigan, the new coaching staff, this is like their third coaching staff, but the Utah coaching staff, we love them guys,” the younger Feister told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($). “They’ve showed up to our house twice now, I think.
Showed up for dinner, had a nice dinner with them. We really liked them guys.”
“We love Michigan. We love their facilities and everything. We would just have to get to know the coaching staff better.”
Brydon also pointed to the broader appeal of the Michigan brand and the people who keep coming back around the program.
“Anybody that went there still comes back to this day,” Brydon said. “Even the big NFL guys, they come in.
Every time we’ve been there for a game day visit, they had an NFL guy, Pro Bowler or Hall of Famer or somebody come in and talk to everybody…Michigan has a lot of connections. I love that.”
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