Michigan’s 2028 recruiting board is starting to take shape, and the Wolverines are making noise with three of the class’s most intriguing names.
At the top of that list is four-star running back Kevin Hartsfield, the nation’s No. 1 back and No. 35 overall player in the cycle. Michigan has made him a priority, with running backs coach Tony Alford leading the push.
Hartsfield has already built a strong connection with Alford, and that relationship is clearly carrying weight.
“It’s just a great relationship with him,” Hartsfield told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($). “He’s a cool dude.
He always checks on me, and everything’s really not about football. He checks on me outside of football.
He taught me some things. He teaches me a lot, actually.
He’s not even my coach, but he teaches me a lot.”
The Newton High School standout in Covington, Georgia, has been to Ann Arbor before, but he wants another look - this time on game day.
“It was interesting,” Hartsfield said. “I liked it. I want to get up there for a game so I can really see more.”
His family background adds another layer here. Hartsfield said his family is from Ohio, and his father has warmed to Michigan thanks to the relationship with the staff.
“I ain’t gonna lie,” Hartsfield said. “At first, coming from a family that’s from Youngstown, Ohio, that’s a school that nobody really likes … My dad actually likes Michigan due to the relationship with the coach. For my dad to like them, it makes me like them, so they’re definitely up there.”
Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama are also in the mix.
Michigan is also chasing one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class, four-star Tristin Gaines. The No. 14 quarterback nationally attends Waller High School in Waller, Texas, and he’ll be in Ann Arbor for the weekend of the UTEP game.
Right now, though, Oregon has the edge.
“Oregon is a standout for sure,” Gaines told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman ($). “Coach (Dan) Lanning, coach Koa (Ka’ai), coach (Michael) Johnson, and coach (Drew) Mehringer have all been reaching out almost every day.
Oregon is the team recruiting me hardest. The coaching staff, the offensive style they run really fits me and my athletic abilities.”
Michigan is making a steady push, though, and Gaines said the Wolverines have stayed consistent with him and his family.
“Michigan is also another one that has been coming at me hard, that has been wanting to get me on campus,” Gaines said. “Will be visiting there this fall.
Michigan has just been on the phone with me consistently getting to know me and my family. Talking ball.
The program also speaks for itself.”
He also spoke highly of quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. after hearing his message.
“He keeps it real with me,” Gaines told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($) of Detmer. “He told me they’re not going to kiss no butt to nobody.
Everywhere they went, they won so far. I like the way he coaches.
I’m going up there this fall, most likely, so I’m looking forward to that.”
For Michigan, the bigger picture with Gaines may come down to what the offense looks like this season. If Bryce Underwood and the Wolverines take a real step forward under the new staff, that could matter in a big way.
The Wolverines are also trying to make their pitch to wide receivers, and four-star Ryan Richmond-McDavis is one to watch. The Cardinal Ritter College Prep standout in St. Louis is the No. 152 player in the 2028 class, and he’s already appreciative of the attention from Michigan.
“Hey, it’s Michigan!” Richmond-McDavis told On3’s McDowell ($). “With the history they’ve built, it’s a blessing to be recruited by the University of Michigan.”
Richmond-McDavis is looking for more than just a logo and a brand name, though. He wants to know how a program develops players, what kind of environment it offers, and how serious it is about academics.
“Do you guys have a history of developing guys and getting them to that next level?” he said.
“I want to ask the coaches, but I ask like the players about the relationships here that they built. Is it a good environment to be in?
And also the education aspect of it. I take my books real serious.”
He’s already started to connect with wide receivers coach Micah Simon, too.
“He’s a real honest guy, a true guy,” Richmond-McDavis said of Simon. “He’s a man of his word, and I’m big on that. And I feel like his intentions are pure.”
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For Michigan, the encouraging part is not just that Buchanan is flashing, but that he seems to be climbing toward a role the offense can count on. He is viewed as a strong candidate to help on the 50-50 balls that often decide tight games, and the buzz around him suggests he could become one of the more important targets in the lineup before long. The bigger question now is how far that momentum carries once the Wolverines start sorting out the full pecking order at receiver. [Read more 🡒]