There’s a whole lot of uncertainty surrounding the Michigan football program right now more than a week after the firing of head coach Sherrone Moore. That uncertainty trickles down to the recruiting world, a world that is never short of uncertainty. Here are some of the latest recruiting updates, starting off with checking in on some signees.
Savion Hiter still plans to enroll early, and other signee updates
The college football world expected a mass exodus from Michigan’s recruits after Moore’s firing, but that hasn’t happened quite yet.
Only two 2026 signees got out of their letter of intent and committed to other schools. Four-star tight end Matt Ludwig committed to Texas Tech, and three-star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter committed to Auburn.
I’d imagine many of these 2026 players, who make up the 11th-best recruiting class on 247Sports’ composite, are waiting to see who the new head coach is before they make a final decision. The Wolverine’s EJ Holland ($) provided updates on many of these players in a recent piece.
The most important takeaway is that five-star running back Savion Hiter is “still on track to enroll early and arrive at Michigan the weekend of Jan. 2.” Holland is optimistic Hiter stays with Michigan due to the financial investment the Wolverines made via NIL.
Holland also reported the following on other signees and some targets:
- No update from five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows, who Holland assumed is still processing the shocking firing and arrest of Moore.
- Four-star offensive lineman Marky Walbridge has yet to make a statement, with Holland reporting “it appears the new Penn State staff now has interest.”
- “I’m just trying to see who they hire,” four-star wide receiver Travis Johnson said. “Then I’m going to go from there.”
- Four-star offensive lineman Malakai Lee is also waiting to see who Michigan hires, by the sound of it. Texas is a school to watch if he backs out of his letter of intent.
- Holland also reported four-star cornerback Andre Clarke Jr. is a player to monitor, with Colorado, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech all showing interest in him.
It’s probably annoying to read this, but a lot can change on all of this as Michigan seeks to hire a new head coach. We’ll keep you posted as the whirlwind of information continues to swirl.
Younger brother of Michigan DE high on the Wolverines
Family connections are perhaps the most important type of connection in the recruiting world, and that’s what Michigan has in Jaxon Holly, the younger brother of current Michigan defensive end Julius Holly.
The younger Holly, a top target for the Wolverines, is ranked just outside the top-400 in the 2027 class on the composite and ranks 35th among edge rushers. Holly was in Ann Arbor the week of Thanksgiving with his family to attend the Ohio State game. He was also in Ann Arbor in the summer of 2024 for the now-defunct BBQ at the Big House.
“This was my sister’s first time coming up there,” Holly said to The Wolverine’s Ethan McDowell ($). “Seeing The Game for the first time, the snow was amazing, it was a great time.”
Alabama and Georgia — surprise, surprise — are also competing with Michigan here, but Holly said the Wolverines are in the lead despite the coaching change.
“I think they’re still in front,” Holly said. “Obviously, my brother’s up there, my parents got a house up there, I know a lot of players on the team through my brother, a lot of them came over Thanksgiving, there were like 10 of them…I’m just getting to know all the guys a lot actually. Getting closer with them is making it better, easier for Michigan.”
As one would assume, Holly said his brother is giving him plenty of insight into what the school is like, perhaps a bigger recruiting tool than any coach can provide. He does like the personal feel he gets at Michigan, as whenever he comes to Ann Arbor, he says players come up and say hello.
“They bring people in, it’s home, a brotherhood, a family,” Holly said. “I think it’s awesome.”
