Ohio State lost out on 4-star Princeton cornerback Monsanna Torbert, and the reason appears to have been less about the Buckeyes’ pitch and more about the feeling his family got during the process. Torbert didn’t get that familial vibe at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, while TTUN delivered it, and now Michigan may be reaping the reward.
MLive’s Ryan Zuke thinks the Wolverines are getting more than just a talented defensive back. On the latest episode of the “Wolverine Confidential” podcast, Zuke said Torbert was a true head-to-head fight with Ohio State and that the Buckeyes had the edge heading into official visits.
“This one was a legitimate head-to-head battle with Ohio State,” Zuke said on the latest episode of “Wolverine Confidential” podcast. “Going into official visits, it seemed like the Buckeyes had the lead for him.
“Just a massive get for Michigan, not only because he’s a talented prospect, a blue-chip prospect, but because he is an Ohio kid as well. It always seems like when Michigan gets a guy from Ohio or a guy or a guy from Michigan, they tend to understand more about what the rivalry means and what it means to be a Wolverine. It always seems like they have a little bit more of a chip on their shoulder and those games mean a little bit more.”
That kind of pickup is always going to sting the other side, especially when it comes from enemy territory. Torbert is going to hear plenty from friends and family for choosing the Maize and Blue, but the bigger takeaway is that Michigan simply put in more effort to lock him down.
Ohio State, though, has every reason to stay in the fight.
Torbert may already be sold on what Kyle Whittingham and Kerry Coombs can do for him as a defensive back, and maybe his commitment is locked in tight. But in 2026, recruiting battles are often shaped by whoever is willing to push hardest with the biggest offer. A strong enough pitch can change plenty, and Oklahoma’s recent flip of 4-star Bergen County (NJ) quarterback Trey Tagliaferri from his lifelong favorite team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, is the kind of reminder that money talks.
If Mark Pantoni, Tim Walton, and company want to make a move, Torbert looks like the kind of target worth chasing. Michigan is clearly enjoying the win already, and if the Wolverines’ hire of Whittingham doesn’t pan out in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes could have a chance to make that addition hurt even more.
For Ohio State, the message is simple: don’t give Michigan any breathing room. The Buckeyes have always been aggressive on the recruiting trail, and this is the kind of battle where they can’t afford to be passive. Torbert is exactly the sort of recruit to go after if OSU wants to keep a firm grip on one of the country’s biggest regional recruiting wars.
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