Very early in the process, but still good news. #GoBlue
Michigan football still isn’t done on the 2025 recruiting trail, but it’s simultaneously turning its attention not only to 2026, but also 2027.
Against Oregon, the Wolverines hosted the No. 1 player in the country in 2027 in five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. But not all eggs are in that basket. There’s another who has an offer from the maize and blue who is strongly considering Michigan as his potential future destination.
Enter Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic four-star quarterback Trae Taylor. The 2027 prospect who is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds revealed his early top 12 and Michigan made the cut along with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, NC State, Iowa, West Virginia, Illinois, and LSU.
Though that’s a big range of suitors, the fact that the Wolverines have already offered (that offer came in June 2023) shows that they’ve laid some ground work. There’s a long time until his cycle and things could ebb and flow, but it’s a positive sign to see Michigan in a good spot at this juncture.
Rivals is the only service that has rated Taylor at this point, and he’s the No. 33 player in the 2027 clas according to the recruiting site.
You win some and you lose some. For Michigan football, it gained a commitment on Wednesday with 2025 Belleville (Mich.) four-star safety Elijah Dotson flipping from Pitt, but it also unexpectedly lost a commitment in the class later in the day.
Though it had been awfully quiet, 2025 Palatine (Ill.) four-star defensive lineman Jaylen Williams has kept his options open, despite having been committed to the Wolverines since June 10. Apparently, Wisconsin had made a push, and it was enough to break him away from his pledge to Michigan football, as he was announced to have flipped to the Badgers with little warning.
BREAKING: Four-Star DL Jaylen Williams has Flipped his Commitment from Michigan to Wisconsin, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’6 250 DL from Palatine, IL had been Committed to the Wolverines since June
Williams is the second four-star defensive line pledge who has flipped as of recent. The other, four-star Nate Marshall, also of Illinois, made a more expected flip to an Auburn team that had made him a top priority throughout the cycle.
Without Williams or Marshall, Michigan football does still have four-stars Bobby Kanka and Benny Patterson committed, with interest in a few other targets either committed elsewhere or uncommitted.
Great player who will have a bright future in Ann Arbor! #GoBlue
When 2025 prospects started being spoken of a few years back, one of the in-state players that was garnering a lot of traction as a potential Wolverine was Belleville (Mich.) four-star safety Elijah Dotson. However, Dotson and Michigan didn’t appear to be on the same page after Sherrone Moore took over the program earlier in 2024, and he ultimately committed to Pitt in May of this year.
However, Michigan football ramped up Dotson’s recruitment late into the 2025 recruiting cycle, getting him on campus for both the Michigan State and the Oregon games. That ultimately led to a flip, as Dotson committed to the Wolverines.
BREAKING: Four-Star CB Elijah Dotson has Flipped his Commitment from Pitt to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’2 180 CB from Detroit, MI had been Committed to the Panthers since May
Here is how Dotson ranks according to the recruiting services:
*
Ovr
Pos
St
247Sports Composite
4
304
30
3
On3 Industry Ranking
4
157
20
2
247Sports
4
118
10
2
On3
4
–
31
3
ESPN
4
–
21
5
Rivals
4
125
52
6
Though expected at safety, Dotson could play cornerback or even wide receiver, as he’s one of five-star QB Bryce Underwood’s favorite targets at Belleville.
Has played safety, corner, receiver, return man and some wildcat quarterback in high school. Has above average size and plays physically. Will put his face in the action in run support and will get his hands on receivers if playing man to man. Receiver background helps in his ball skills. Versatile and can play deep in the secondary or come into the box as well as match-up one on one with slots and tight ends. Most likely projection is safety, but it is not out of the question a school could try him as a big corner. Track background speaks to his athleticism and has enough straight line speed to recover and run down plays.
Getting Dotson in the fold is a feather in Michigan’s cap when it comes to the attempt to flip the aforementioned Underwood from LSU.
With Dotson in the fold, he joins safety Kainoa Winston as well as cornerbacks Shamari Earls and Jayden Sanders in the class. The Wolverines are also still working on Oregon commit Brandon Finney.
While the 2025 class just over two weeks away from signing with their prospective teams, 2026 recruiting is heating up in a big way.
Michigan football is looking to build on Sherrone Moore’s first year as a head coach from a recruiting standpoint, and though his first class is not yet completed, he’s off to a solid start in 2026. Currently, the Wolverines have three commits in the class, including four-star QB Brady Hart, three-star CB Brody Jennings, and three-star WR Jaylen Pile.
Now, the top cornerback in the 2026 class is including Michigan football in his newly-released top 10.
On Tuesday, 2026 Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) four-star cornerback RJ Sermons released his top 10 and the Wolverines made the cut.
NEWS: Elite 2026 CB RJ Sermons is down to 🔟 Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’1 185 CB from Rancho Cucamonga, CA is ranked as the No. 1 CB in the ‘26 Class (per On3)
Sermons is a two-sport guy who also excels on the track. Clocked a personal best 10.48-100m and 21.34-200m during Junior track season and plays fast as well. Dad Rodney Sermons played RB at USC in the mid-90s. RJ is a pure corner who can play out wide or as a nickel. Good feet, closes well and shows poise when the ball is in the air. Has good ball awareness and doesn’t need to clutch and grab like a lot of young corners. Good open field tackler, will come up and hit you and has a really nice all around game. Can return punts and kicks and should make a leap in the return game with more opportunities this year. Advanced football IQ and feel for the game and has the all the tools to be an early impact player at the next level and is an easy high Power 5 prospect.
Michigan football needs playmakers, especially at the skill positions.
Though the Wolverines have some solid commitments in 2025 (WR Andrew Marsh, TE Andrew Olesh, WR Jacob Washington, RB Donovan Johnson, WR Jamar Browder, and RB Jasper Parker), they’re still looking to add more. Wideout Derek Meadows (an LSU commit) visited for the Oregon game two weeks ago, and while the jury is still out on him, there is another who the Wolverines have a keen interest in.
Over the weekend, the maize and blue offered 2025 Cocoa (Fla.) four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs, a teammate of 2026 commit Brady Hart. And now it appears that Boggs has mutual interest, having decided to visit Ann Arbor for Michigan football’s final home game of the season, against Northwestern.
Thick-cut wide receiver that racks up chunks of yardage after the catch. Assembled a historic junior campaign, totaling just under 1,500 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns for Florida’s 2M champs. Displays suddenness as a route runner and will set defensive backs up with dynamic cuts and slick head fakes as he attacks leverage. Quick to locate the football and has proven to be rather sure-handed. Makes his money working the smaller numbers of the route tree as he makes it extremely difficult for would-be tacklers to get him on the ground with his advanced vision and impressive contact balance. More of a build-speed prospect at this stage, but still finds ways to make an impact and get into the end zone. Should be viewed as a potential zone-coverage beater that can handle a high-volume of targets in an offense that features West Coast concepts. Has multi-year Power Four starter upside and could work his rotation sooner rather than later as he doesn’t lack polish.
In 2025 Michigan football has two commits (thus far) from the elite Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy in three-star center Kaden Strayhorn and four-star running back Donovan Johnson. As it continues to work on elite linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng in the 2025 class, it’s also working the 2026 class.
In Week 4 against USC, the Wolverines hosted IMG Academy four-star interior offensive lineman Breck Kolojay, hoping to get him to eventually follow suit with some of his high school teammates and join the maize and blue. And now that Kolojay is whittling down his list, Michigan football did, in fact, make the cut to eventually land him.
Here is how Kolojay ranks according to the recruiting services:
*
Ovr
Pos
St
247Sports Composite
4
257
19
43
On3 Industry Ranking
4
233
18
39
247Sports
3
–
27
49
On3
4
248
20
38
ESPN
4
170
5
32
Rivals
4
–
13
55
As of current, Michigan has three commits in the 2026 class, headlined by Cocoa (Fla.) four-star quarterback Brady Hart, along with three-star wide receiver Jaylen Pile and three-star cornerback Brody Jennings.
Dusty May has reeled in an impressive class. #GoBlue
The Michigan basketball season has just started but with the early signing period for the 2025 recruiting class coming to a close, Dusty May has officially signed his first class (the last class saw May bring LJ Cason and Justin Pippen into the fold, but there was a holdover from Juwan Howard’s class in Durral ‘Phat Phat’ Brooks).
The Wolverines brought in one five-star local product, a four-star from the West Coast, and an international product that has shined at the NBA Global Academy.
Though it will be just under a year before we get to see the three newly-signed prospects take the court for the Wolverines, there’s a lot of reason for excitement given what they bring to the table.
McKenney is a big-bodied scoring guard and unique backcourt match-up because of his very broad frame and massive 6-foot-9 wingspan. He plays with an aggressive scoring mentality and has an advanced understand of how to leverage his body type within his attack. He’s powerful, physical, crafty, has a great left-hand, and is also very adept at scoring over top of contesting defenders in the mid-range area.
While McKenney can have a high-volume approach, settle for too many tough-twos, and be turnover prone at times, he’s actually an underrated initiator when he’s allowed to play with the ball in his hands. He has clear potential playing out of ball-screens and some instinctive feel for the game to match his sheer power.
McKenney is an excellent free-throw shooter (92%), but doesn’t get there quite enough to take full advantage, especially given his body type. His shooting stroke isn’t quite as natural from long range, but he’s shown some clear progress and made 36% on just under 6 attempts per game in the EYBL.
Defensively, he’s typically willing to compete, but sometimes limited by a lack of lateral quickness. That footspeed is going to be tied to continuing to make strides with his conditioning, albeit without shrinking his frame too much, since that is such a critical part of his identity. McKenney is also an excellent rebounding guard.
Dusty May says…
“Trey embodies everything it means to be a Michigan Man,” said May. “He comes from a family of strong faith and high character. He has been taught how to play the game the right way and values competition. His versatility as a big, strong guard is going to be a tremendous asset to our program.”
Grady is a skilled, shot-making wing with good positional size and strength. He posted 19 points per game during the recent 3SSB season on 53/42/87 shooting splits, finishing in the league’s top ten in both scoring and efficiency (1.06 points per possession according to Synergy). What’s counterintuitive about those ultra-efficient numbers, is that Grady thrives in the mid-range area. He loves to score over top of contesting defenders from about 12-18 feet with some lift into a high release. He can create space off the dribble for those shots, go into the mid-post, or occasionally run off screens, but tends to play a little upright and doesn’t put a ton of pressure on the rim.
His release point changes a little bit from behind the arc, and becomes more of a lower set-shot with less lift, but he’s still a very efficient marksmen from downtown. He’s a hugely valuable floor-spacer when surrounded with more dynamic playmakers and also capable of making threes off the dribble.
In addition to his positional size and strength, Grady is ultra-competitive with a clear edge to him. He’s not the most naturally quick, bouncy, long, or flexible in his hips, but he’s a worker who competes on both ends of the floor. He’s going to be more versatile up the line-up than down, and is a solid wing rebounder. He’s also shown he’s capable of being consistently productive and impacting winning in a variety of roles, ranging from the offensive focal point we saw in the grassroots season to the valuable secondary piece we saw in high school.
Dusty May says…
“Winters is a flat-out competitor,” said May. “He is tailor-made for how we want to play at Michigan. His ability to shoot the ball is one of the reasons he’s an ideal fit. His versatility and physicality, on both the offense and defense end, will allow him to be a factor for us right away. The more we dug in and got to know him and his family, the more we realized that this a guy that we need to have in our program.”
F Oscar Goodman
ALTAN GOCHER/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Vitals
High school
NBA Global Academy (New Zealand)
Height
6-foot-7
Weight
230 pounds
Rankings
*
Ovr
Pos
St
247Sports Composite
4
76
17
1
On3 Industry Ranking
3
191
43
–
247Sports
4
86
21
1
On3
4
99
25
–
ESPN
–
–
–
–
Rivals
–
–
–
–
Via the official press release:
Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 86 overall recruit according to 247, Goodman hails from Opunake, New Zealand, where he played for the NBA Global Academy. Goodman had a breakout performance at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, averaging 17.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and three assists per game, earning honors on the tournament’s All-Star Five team.
An efficient scorer in the paint, Goodman shot 63.0 percent from around the rim at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, averaging over two made dunks per game as he helped lead New Zealand to a historic fourth-place finish.
Goodman has become a key piece of the New Zealand setup throughout his youth career. At the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship, he was named tournament MVP while helping New Zealand secure a silver medal. The previous year, he led the U15 team to a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA U15 Oceania Championship, where he was the team’s top scorer and earned a spot on the all-tournament first team.
Dusty May says…
“Oscar arrives in Ann Arbor as an accomplished international player and prospect, who was just named to the New Zealand senior national team,” said May. “He comes from a tight-knit family that values everything that we want our program to be about. His training at the NBA Academy, as well as his eagerness and ability to compete, will allow him to affect our program positively from day one.”
Class rankings
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Overall
Though the rankings will certainly change with uncommitted prospects still available to sign in the later period, as of current, the Wolverines have the No. 11 class in the country, behind Duke, UConn, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Syracuse, SMU, and Alabama, per 247Sports.
On Friday, Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell went down to Cocoa (Fla.) to see 2026 four-star quarterback commit Brady Hart, and it turns out they saw some other talent they liked.
Formerly a Florida State commit, 2025 Cocoa (Fla.) five-star EDGE Javion Hilson is an elite recruit who is garnering a ton of interest from top programs as early signing day draws near. Though it may be late in the game, Michigan football offered Hilson, hoping it can lure him into the class.
Athletic edge defender with long limbs and upfield burst. Excels as a face-up rusher and has hounded quarterbacks while working as a wide 9 in a four-man front. Measured just under 6-foot-4, 225 pounds spring before junior season, but has added some good weight in advance of senior campaign and should be able to take on more mass in the coming years. Not one to give up on a play and will keep the foot on the pedal to make tackles outside of his lane. Formidable punch can make it hard for blockers to latch onto him, but must get better at holding his ground and keeping containment when runs come his way. Increased flexibility could also lead to more sacks as it would allow him to dip more effectively when turning the corner. Combination of physical traits, testing data, and functional athleticism suggest ample long-term upside. Could emerge as a high-major impact player for a College Football Playoff contender with early-round NFL Draft upside.
Hilson is making his decision on early signing day, Dec. 4. He has recently visited Syracuse, Texas, Florida State (after his decommitment), and UCF.
2025 Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange four-star safety Ivan Taylor flipped to Michigan football earlier in the recruiting cycle, with the Wolverines stealing him away from Notre Dame after losing longtime target JaDon Blair to the Irish, but not all good things last.
There had long been rumors that Taylor had a wandering eye and after visiting Tuscaloosa, it was clear that the Alabama Crimson Tide were gaining some momentum for the four-star prospect.
Michigan’s hold on his recruitment officially came to a close on Monday, as Taylor made the flip to Alabama. On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported the news.
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Ivan Taylor has Flipped his Commitment from Michigan to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’0 180 S from Winter Garden, FL had been Committed to the Wolverines since July
Here is how Taylor ranks according to the recruiting services:
*
Ovr.
Pos.
St.
247Sports Composite
4
59
7
9
On3 Industry Ranking
4
63
7
9
247Sports
4
41
2
5
On3
4
137
14
21
ESPN
4
50
5
6
Rivals
4
114
12
25
With Taylor gone, Michigan football still has defensive backs in Jayden Sanders, Shamari Earls, and Kainoa Winston. The decommit drops the Wolverines to 18 commits in the 2025 cycle.
The Wolverines are targeting 2025 Belleville (Mich.) four-star safety Elijah Dotson and Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech four-star Alex Graham, both of whom are committed elsewhere.
Michigan football is wrapping up the 2025 recruiting class, but it is working on the 2026 class, which will soon be on the clock.
One prospect was expected to lean toward the maize and blue because he played a position the Wolverines are known for and his high school is in a neighboring town. 2026 Saline (Michigan) tight end Lincoln Keyes visited Ann Arbor in recent weeks as his recruitment appeared to be picking up.
However, Keyes surprised by spurning the Michigan Wolverines in favor of making an early commitment to Georgia. His pledge was announced on Sunday morning.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 TE Lincoln Keyes has Committed to Georgia, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’6 240 TE from Saline, MI chose the Bulldogs over Michigan, Ohio State, & Alabama
Keyes is a three-star prospect ranked 391st in the 2026 class, regardless of position. He’s the No. 20 tight end and No. 7 player in the state of Michigan.
The Wolverines have a loaded room: Four-stars Hogan Hansen and Brady Prieskorn pledged in 2024. Michigan also has four-star Andrew Olesh and three-star Eli Owens pledged in the 2025 class.
