After winning the 2023 national championship, Michigan football has gotten off to a slower-than-expected start with its 2025 high school recruiting class.
Much of that is due to all the staff turnover which occurred this offseason, with the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh, most of the Wolverines' defensive assistants and head strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. However, new head coach Sherrone Moore and his rebuilt coaching staff are set to begin their summer recruiting efforts with a bang.
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This weekend, Michigan will host five 2025 four-star prospects on official visits, each of whom are considered Top 160 national prospects according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
Four-star WR Derek Meadows — Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
Michigan is one of five finalists for Meadows — the No. 62 overall player and No. 9 wide receiver in the 2025 class — alongside Georgia, Alabama, LSU and Notre Dame. The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder will visit each of his finalists over the next three weeks, and the Wolverines will have their work cut out for them in this recruitment. Michigan's style of play has been a hard sell for elite wide receiver prospects like Meadows, as the Wolverines' offensive identity centers more around running the football. However, if there's one thing WR coach Ron Bellamy can sell to prospects this cycle, it's that U-M has early playing time opportunities at wide receiver going forward. Currently, Notre Dame has one crystal ball prediction of landing Meadows.
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 30, 2024“I will pick one of these five schools when I commit.”
Elite 4-star WR Derek Meadows tells @ChadSimmons_ he is getting down to crunch time in his recruitment 👀 pic.twitter.com/6FnAzxuhHk
Four-star IOL Douglas Utu — Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
Coming off an official visit to national runner-up Washington, Utu will get a look at the national champions this weekend in Ann Arbor. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder is ranked No. 67 overall and is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in this cycle. Michigan's prowess along the offensive line in recent years can only help in a recruitment of this magnitude. U-M offensive line coach Grant Newsome is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching industry, and landing Utu would be a major notch in his belt. It won't be an easy recruitment to win, but the Wolverines are in a good spot heading into summer. Following his visit to Michigan, Utu will take a trip to Alabama. Nebraska, Tennessee and Oregon are also involved in his recruitment.
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 30, 20244-star IOL Douglas Utu is focused on 6⃣ schools and is eyeing a July commitment, he tells @ChadSimmons_👀
Utu is the No. 3 IOL in the On3 Industry Ranking.
Four-star S Kainoa Winston — Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga
The Wolverines have produced some excellent safeties in recent years, and could be in line to land another with high potential. Michigan is a Top 4 finalist for Winston alongside Penn State, Oregon and North Carolina, each of which Winston will visit over the next four weeks. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder is considered the No. 88 overall prospect and No. 9 safety in the 2025 cycle. By several accounts, U-M's new secondary coach LaMar Morgan quickly endeared himself to the Wolverines' current defensive backs and he's already had success recruiting out of the transfer portal. If Morgan is able to reel in a prospect of Winston's caliber, it would add to an already impressive start for the assistant coach.
Final 4️⃣!!! https://t.co/7TL8srjqIm
— Kelvin Kainoa Winston (@KainoaWinston) May 30, 2024
Four-star DL DJ Sanders — Belleville (Texas)
Michigan has featured a dominant defensive line during its three-year reign atop the Big Ten, and that starts with the interior. The Wolverines have their sights set on another disrupter up front in Sanders, the No. 112 overall prospect and No. 12 defensive lineman in the 2025 class. Garnering 18 scholarship offers thus far, the 6-foot-4, 290-pounder's size immediately stands out. Michigan's new defensive line coach Lou Esposito has done well to secure a visit from Sanders, though the Wolverines have a tough battle on their hands with local programs Texas and Texas A&M heavily involved here. Sanders will visit the Aggies and Longhorns on June 14 and June 21, respectively.
Four-star EDGE Marco Jones — Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley
Rounding out the weekend visitors is Jones, the No. 156 overall prospect and No. 14 edge rusher in this cycle. Throughout the Jim Harbaugh tenure, Michigan produced a plethora of edge rushers to the NFL. Moore and Esposito will look to keep that trend going as the Wolverines enter a new era. Jones has garnered a whopping 31 scholarship offers during his recruitment, with the likes of Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M and others battling alongside Michigan. Like Sanders mentioned above, Jones will also take visits to see the Aggies (June 6) and Longhorns (June 14) in the coming weeks.
Conclusion:
Over the next four weekends, Michigan is set to host a plethora of high school talent. The vast change in coaching personnel this offseason has slowed the Wolverines' efforts on the recruiting trail, but now is the time for U-M to capitalize off the success of the past three seasons. The Wolverines do have five four-star prospects committed to their 2025 recruiting class in defensive lineman Nathaniel Marshall (No. 41 overall), quarterback Carter Smith (No. 160), offensive tackle Avery Gach (No. 246), defensive lineman Bobby Kanka (No. 379) and tight end Eli Owens (No. 399). Michigan's 2025 class is currently ranked No. 41 in the country and No. 12 in the Big Ten, though the Wolverines' average player rating of 92.14 on 247Sports is the fourth-best mark in the conference.
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