Michigan football’s recruiting push in Ohio is starting to take shape, and one of the clearest signs is a visit on the horizon for four-star running back Carte Ligon.
Ligon, a 2028 prospect ranked No. 157 overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings and fifth in Ohio, has already been to Ann Arbor once. He piled up 2,559 yards last season, including 2,262 on the ground, and Michigan is now expected to get him back for a Gameday visit in the fall, according to Brice Marich of The Michigan Insider.
That matters because Michigan and Ohio State were the only programs to host Ligon for a visit this spring, at least according to his Rivals profile. Ohio State has also welcomed him in, though he does not have an offer from the Buckeyes yet. If that offer never comes, Michigan could have a real opening.
The Wolverines are also in the mix for another Ohio blue-chip in Asa Burch, a Michigan legacy who holds an Ohio State offer and is ranked No. 129 overall in the 2028 class. That would be another notable win in a state that has become a tougher place for Michigan to mine over the years.
Still, the Wolverines have shown they can break through. Kyle Whittingham, who has not coached a game for Michigan yet, already landed four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert in the 2027 class, beating Ohio State head-to-head. The article calls that Michigan’s biggest recruiting win in Ohio since Jordan Marshall.
Michigan has a long history of pulling talent from the Buckeye State, even if that trend faded after Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus and had started shifting before that. Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard, the Wolverines’ last two Heisman Trophy winners, both came from Ohio.
There are also some familiar ties on Michigan’s staff. Jim Harding used to coach high school football in Ohio, and Kerry Coombs, who once served as Ohio State’s defensive and special teams coordinator, is now Michigan’s special teams coordinator.
Whittingham has made Ohio a priority, and so far, the results suggest the Wolverines are making real headway.
In Other News...
Michigan Recruiting Momentum Suddenly Includes A Familiar Name
Michigans 2028 recruiting board is starting to take on a familiar shape, and it comes with a name Wolverines fans already know well. Carson Graham, the younger brother of former Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, is among the prospects looking at Ann Arbor, while four-star backs Cartae Ligon and Xander Edwards are also showing real interest as the Wolverines continue building relationships early in the cycle.
For Michigan, the appeal is obvious: a family connection in Grahams case, and established ties with running backs coach Tony Alford for both Ligon and Edwards. Ligon has long had Michigan near the top of his list because of that relationship, and Edwards is set to see the program in person this fall after earning an offer and lining up a game visit, giving the staff a chance to keep momentum going with a pair of highly regarded backs. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Cannot Let This 2028 Receiver Slip Further South
Michigan has a familiar angle in the chase for Jarvis Stevenson, and it is one that can matter with a prospect this early in the process. The 6-foot-5 dual-sport athlete out of John Curtis Christian School in New Orleans has roots in Grand Rapids, giving the Wolverines a built-in hometown connection as they try to keep him from drifting deeper into SEC territory. Michigan identified him early and put a scholarship on the table while he was still beginning to build his profile, which at least gives the Wolverines a foothold in a recruitment that already has plenty of national attention.
The challenge now is holding that position against the usual heavyweight crowd. LSU, Auburn, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama are all in the mix, and for Michigan the pitch has to be about more than geography alone. The Wolverines will need to lean into how Stevenson could fit their offense and why Ann Arbor offers a different path than the one being laid out by the schools farther south, because once a receiver with his size and upside becomes a priority for that many programs, the race tends to move quickly. [Read more 🡒]