Michigan’s loss to Indiana didn’t exactly make for a happy Saturday in Ann Arbor, but the weekend still produced a handful of recruiting notes worth tracking. Several targets and commits were on campus, and the reaction from them was mostly positive.
One of the most notable visitors was 2028 five-star quarterback Jayden Wade, the No. 6-ranked player in the country out of IMG Academy. Wade has been committed to Georgia for nearly a year, so a flip would be a long shot, but Michigan remains in the mix enough to stay on the radar.
His advisor, Mike Evans, told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong on Monday morning, “It was cool,” and added, “We’ll have more on that in the near future. Wade committed to UGA nearly a year ago, and while it will be tough to flip him from the Bulldogs, Michigan is one of the programs he’s keeping warm.
Michigan has a good program. The coaches there were at Utah and they offered him when he was younger.
That sticks out a lot.”
Michigan also had 2028 three-star offensive lineman Jace Montgomery on campus, and the Cincinnati native made it clear the Wolverines are a real option. Montgomery, the No. 369 player overall and a product of Archbishop Moeller High School, said, “I had a great time in Ann Arbor,” and pointed to the program’s support system, coaching, academics and alumni network as major selling points. He said the schools drawing his attention right now include Iowa and Oklahoma, then added, “They are one of a couple schools that I am truly interested in attending.”
Another name to watch is four-star cornerback Deonte Flemings, a Penn State commit from McDowell High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. The No. 129 player in the 2028 class came away impressed with what he saw at The Big House.
“Great atmosphere,” Flemings said. “Love the atmosphere.
The fans to be honest. How they were in the game all four quarters.
They run the perfect defense for me.”
While Michigan is trying to build momentum on the trail, it is also fending off some attention elsewhere. 2027 four-star defensive lineman Xavier Muhammad, who committed to Michigan in May, took a visit to Texas over the weekend. His mom told On3’s Ethan McDowell, “We are preparing as schedule for national signing day with Michigan,” which is encouraging for the Wolverines.
Still, Texas clearly made an impression on the No. 106 player in the 2027 class. Muhammad said, “(Texas) apologized for waiting so late and told me how proud they were of my growth,” and added, “I mean, it’s Texas!
I’m from Texas, so I grew up watching the Longhorns.”
Michigan also hosted another flip candidate in 2027 three-star wide receiver Jacob Thomas, a Pitt commit from Miramar, Florida. This was his third straight home game visit, and his comments suggest the staff is making a real push.
Thomas said, “The communication between me and the staff has been on point, and they been telling me a lot of good things about the program,” then explained that he wanted to see the program, deepen his relationship with the coaches and gauge where he fits. He also said, “Michigan is a great program, and I want to see how I could fit in and make an impact early in my career.
I’m excited to get up there, learn more about the program, and see if it’s the right place for me to reach my goals on and off the field.”
The staff’s pitch appears to be centered on early opportunity, and Thomas said that message has resonated. “The staff’s message to me has been that they see my potential and believe I can come in and make an impact early,” he said.
“They want me to get up there, see the program for myself, build relationships with the coaches, and talk more about their plan for me. I feel like they believe in what I can bring to the team, and I’m excited to get up there and learn more about the opportunity.”
In Other News...
Michigans Next AD Could Decide More Than Wolverines Fans Realize
Warde Manuels decision to step down at the end of December has put Michigan into the kind of search that tends to ripple well beyond the athletic department. The Wolverines are looking for a new athletic director at a time when the football program is already under pressure, and that means the hire will not just be about administration or fundraising. It could shape how the school approaches one of its biggest public-facing decisions in the months ahead.
Among the names circulating are Candice Story Lee of Vanderbilt, Katie Fraumann, who has ties to Michigan, and David Benedict of UConn. Each brings a different background, but the common thread is the same: this is a hire that may define the direction of the department as much as any move on the field. For Michigan fans, the real intrigue is not only who gets the job, but how quickly that person decides the Wolverines need a different path in football. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Still Has One Problem It Must Solve Before Rutgers
Michigan still has one major decision hanging over it before Rutgers, and it is the sort that can shape everything else on the field. Kyle Whittingham has not settled on a starting quarterback, with freshman Tommy Carr and sophomore Bryce Underwood both in the mix after uneven recent showings. Carr flashed some promise even while dealing with turnovers and sacks, while Underwood has struggled in his last two starts but still carries a leadership presence inside the program.
The next few days of practice will go a long way toward sorting it out, with the staff planning to use those reps to narrow the competition and make the call closer to game time. For Michigan, it is more than just a roster question. The Wolverines are trying to find the steadier option before a conference game that can help set the tone for the stretch ahead, and the answer at quarterback remains the biggest unresolved piece. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Run Game Faces Its Biggest Test Yet At Rutgers
Michigan is heading into a game at Rutgers needing its ground attack to do a lot of the heavy lifting. The Wolverines have leaned on the run game as the most reliable part of an offense that has struggled in several areas this season, and the matchup looks favorable on paper, with Rutgers sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten in run defense. Even with Michigan favored by 14.5 points, this has the feel of a game where the Wolverines need their identity to show up early rather than rely on another tight finish.
The broader concern is that Michigan has already spent much of the season playing closer games than expected and surviving on the margins more often than it would like. Against Rutgers, the path is fairly clear: establish the run, control the pace and avoid giving an underdog enough chances to hang around. If the Wolverines cannot do that against the conferences weakest run defense, it would say plenty about where this offense really stands heading into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]