Michigan’s secondary is under the microscope again, and this time the concern centers on one of its 2027 defensive back pledges.
Flip predictions have started to roll in for four-star Chicago Mount Carmel prospect Tavares Harrington, with Ole Miss now viewed as the team pushing hardest to pry him away from Michigan. Harrington committed to the Wolverines on May 22, picking them over a finalist group that included the Rebels, but the pursuit from Oxford hasn’t let up. At 6-foot-3, he’s still pledged to Michigan for now, though the warning signs are there.
That would sting for Michigan, especially after another secondary commitment, four-star safety Darrell Mattison, flipped from the Wolverines to Ole Miss back in May. The prediction movement doesn’t make Harrington’s switch official, but it does put him squarely on the watch list.
Michigan has also had to keep an eye on the broader recruiting picture after Kyle Whittingham’s staff dealt with the dismissal of offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Whittingham said the staff contacted every recruit Sunday night and got encouraging responses.
“We got on the phone with every recruit (Sunday) night,” Whittingham said. “And they seemed to be very receptive and positive. Nobody was panicking.”
Not every recent development has pointed toward trouble, though. Another Michigan commit, 2027 four-star edge rusher Ifeanyi Emedobi, took a weekend trip to Tennessee, but the visit doesn’t appear to have moved the needle much. According to Ethan McDowell of The Wolverine, Emedobi had originally planned to get back to Ann Arbor before a family obligation changed those plans.
Instead, the Fort Wayne Northrop standout went to Knoxville with a group from Traction Athletic Performance, where he trains, and watched Tennessee face Kentucky. The Volunteers hadn’t offered him and were not actively recruiting him when McDowell reported the trip. Tennessee measured him and suggested the staff might circle back, but Emedobi still hadn’t heard from the program afterward.
He was also following along with Michigan’s game against Michigan State while he was there. A source close to his recruitment told McDowell, “Ife loves Michigan.”
That fits with the relationships that have helped keep him locked in. Emedobi has built strong ties with defensive line coaches Lewis Powell, Larry Black and David Denham, and that comfort level remains a big part of his commitment.
“Communication’s been great,” Emedobi said earlier this fall. “We talk every day of the week.”
He still plans to enroll at Michigan in January, and McDowell’s read is that the main thing that could shake that plan would be a change along the defensive line.
Michigan is also trying to make inroads with another 2027 defender who already has a commitment elsewhere. Boston College defensive line pledge Jayden Paulino came away impressed after visiting Ann Arbor for the Michigan State game, according to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn ($). Paulino had just picked up a Michigan offer the week before, and he described the visit in glowing terms.
“It was a great experience,” Paulino said. “The staff was welcoming and amazing.”
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound New Jersey prospect said the campus feel, the facilities and the program’s potential under Whittingham stood out to him. Michigan’s defensive showing also caught his attention, along with Black’s approach.
“Coach Black is a tough, energetic guy, and those are some characteristics I want any coach to have,” Paulino said.
Paulino committed to Boston College on June 17, but he’s still taking a look around. Penn State is set to host him for an official visit this weekend, Missouri has recently offered, and Miami is showing interest as well.
A return trip to Michigan for the Nov. 21 UCLA game is also being discussed, which gives the Wolverines another chance to keep building on the momentum from his first visit.
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