Mansfield (TX) Lake Ridge OT Felix Ojo (image via X)
2026
Nick Abrams II - LB - Owings Mills (MD) McDonough: Abrams is a 6'2", 215 lb. prospect with official visits set for Alabama and Oregon, and he has already visited Georgia. He's a 4-star, the #17 linebacker, and #251 overall. This is an official visit.
Khary Adams - CB - Towson (MD) Loyola Blakefield: Adams is a 6'2", 175-pounder with official visits to Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, and South Carolina, along with Michigan. He's a 4-star, the #9 cornerback, and #75 overall. This is an official visit.
McHale Blade - DE - Chicago (IL) Simeon: Blade is a 6'4", 245 lb. edge prospect with officials to Purdue and Wisconsin under his belt, and this is his last scheduled official visit for the time being. He's a 4-star, the #21 defensive lineman, and #169 overall. He attends the alma mater of Chris Bryant, Michigan's Director of High School Relations. This is an official visit.
Fort Worth (TX) North Crowley OG John Turntine III (image via 247 Sports)
2026
Davon Benjamin - S - Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian: Benjamin is a 6'0", 170 lb. prospect with offers from all over the country, and his only other currently scheduled official visit is to Texas, aside from this one to Michigan. Benjamin is a 4-star, the #5 safety, and #36 overall.
Jordan Deck - S - Frisco (TX) Lone Star: Deck is a 6'1", 190 lb. prospect with officials set for Baylor and Ole Miss, and he has already visited Colorado and Penn State for officials. He's a 4-star, the #36 safety, and #386 overall. He has no crystal ball picks. This is an official visit. UPDATE: Deck postponed his visit to June 6.
Brady Marchese - WR - Cartersville (GA) Cartersville: Marchese is a 6'1", 183-pounder who has been committed to Georgia since March, but Virginia Tech and West Virginia will also receive official visits, along with this one to Michigan and then Georgia on June 6. Marchese is a 4-star, the #41 wide receiver, and #250 overall.
Ian Premer - TE - Great Bend (KS) Great Bend: Premer is a 6'5", 220-pounder with official visits set for Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Notre Dame after he visits Michigan. Premer is a 4-star, the #4 tight end, and #45 overall, so he's ranked above both of Michigan's recent tight end commitments (Matt Ludwig and Mason Bonner), but there has not been much buzz about Premer ending up at Michigan. I would not be surprised if this visit gets canceled. This is an official visit. UPDATE: Premer did not end up visiting Michigan.
Zion Robinson - WR - Mansfield (TX) Mansfield: Robinson is a 6'4", 180 lb. wideout with officials set for TCU, Miami, and Stanford. He's a 4-star, the #18 wide receiver, and #134 overall. His father is Khadevis Robinson, who ran track at TCU, is a track administrator at TCU, and participated in the 2004 and 2012 Olympics in the 800 meters. This is an official visit.
Name: Avery Gach Height: 6'5" Weight: 287 lbs. High school: Franklin (MI) Groves Position: Offensive guard Class: Freshman Jersey number: #74 Last year: Gach was a senior in high school (LINK). TTB Rating: 77
Gach committed to Michigan despite being a Michigan State legacy, and that not only takes some intelligence, but also some guts. I guess it should be pretty obvious that the Wolverines are the better choice given both options, but some people aren't able to grasp it. Michigan pursued Gach because he's tough and aggressive, envisioning a return to the physical offensive lines that led the way for Michigan's rushing offense from 2021-2023, and Gach has the mindset to be able to play for a line like that.
Gach is rated in the 247 Composite as an interior offensive lineman (4-star, #15 IOL, #279 overall) but some sites rank him as a tackle. I think his feet are too slow laterally to make tackle an option, so he's likely limited to guard or perhaps center. But he definitely has the tenacity to be a physical finisher on the interior as a run blocker. He did some good things in the spring game as an early enrollee, but he still needs to learn some technique, play lower, and add some weight to his 287 lb. frame. He is likely headed for a redshirt, but if one of the early season games turns into a blowout, I could see him getting a few snaps to prepare him for the future.
Name: Julius Holly Height: 6'4" Weight: 224 lbs. High school: Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta Position: Defensive end Class: Freshman Jersey number: #37 Last year: Holly was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 9 tackles and 1 tackle for loss while playing in just two games due to injury. TTB Rating: 76
Holly has flown somewhat under the radar as a recruit even though he's a 4-star (#36 edge, #403 overall) in the 247 Composite. He took official visits to Georgia, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M before committing to Michigan at the end of last July, so he was pursued by some heavy hitters. Various college coaches must have seen something in him.
Unfortunately, Holly's senior season was cut short by injury, so he was only able to play in two games. MGoBlue lists him at 6'4", 224 lbs. after he was listed at 6'3", 230 lbs. during his recruitment, so he comes in a little bit taller and leaner than expected. The height is welcome, but the light weight is something that registers as a red flag for any chance of contributing as a freshman. At the Big Ten level, guys who are 224 pounds would get tossed around, so Holly is a virtual lock to redshirt this season.
Name: Chase Taylor Height: 6'2" Weight: 213 lbs. High school: Stockbridge (GA) Stockbridge Position: Linebacker Class: Freshman Jersey number: #29 Last year: Taylor was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 3 quarterback hurries. TTB Rating: 58
Taylor was recruited to Michigan to play inside linebacker, and he committed when he was listed at 201 pounds. It takes a lot of projection to see a 201 lb. player and think he'll be a Big Ten inside linebacker, where the normal playing weight is anywhere from 235-245 pounds. Sometimes long and lean players are 200 pounds and can project to tight end or outside linebacker because they're 6'5" or 6'6" and have a lot of room for growth, but at 6'2" there's not quite as much real estate to add beef.
A true senior highlight reel could not be found for Taylor for the 2024 season, so there are a few highlights from a handful of games. Based on what I saw in those clips, I still think Taylor has a long way to go, even though MGoBlue now lists him at 213 pounds. Taylor seems a little bit slow to make plays, and he doesn't always finish tackles the way I'd like to see for a future Big Ten inside linebacker. He can at times come downhill, lower his hips, and make a solid impact, but those plays just seem too few and far between. Based upon those senior clips, I lowered Taylor's TTB Rating from 69 to 58, and I think he's a pretty surefire redshirt in 2024 since he's so light.
Denver (CO) Mullen tight end Mason Bonner committed to Michigan on Thursday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Colorado, Florida, Miami, Penn State, and several others.
Bonner is listed at 6'6" and 200 lbs.
RANKINGS ESPN: 3-star, 79 grade, #17 TE-H On3: 3-star, 89 grade, #21 TE Rivals: 3-star, 5.6 grade, #44 TE 247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #34 TE
Name: Benny Patterson Height: 6'4" Weight: 245 lbs. High school: Newburgh (IN) Castle Position: Defensive tackle Class: Freshman Jersey number: N/A Last year: Patterson was a senior in high school. He made 70 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. TTB Rating: 78
Patterson was a somewhat late flip in the class of 2025, picking the Wolverines on November 1, 2024, after being committed to Cincinnati. I never did a commitment post for him because I was busy at that time of year and didn't circle back, so this is basically the first you're hearing about him much on TTB.
MGoBlue's commitment bio for Patterson lists him at 6'2", 240 lbs. while 247 Sports lists him at 6'4", 245. Maybe I should have gone with a listed 6'3", 242.5 pounds up above, but the general idea seems to be that he's in the 240s. Has he added weight since his senior football season ended? That's likely. How much? Nobody knows.
In general on Patterson's senior film, I see a quick and athletic defensive lineman who does not have a ton of technique or strength. His stance is inconsistent, he tends to stand straight up on his first step, and he sometimes shocks an offensive lineman with his hands, but he tends not to do much with his hands after that if the initial blow doesn't work. The bright side is that it often works because he's a Division I-level athlete, but the down side is that he'll have a lot to learn at the college level because those guys will keep fighting - and they won't have to fight very much because Patterson is only 242.5 pounds.
Most guys with Patterson's skills and body type end up playing defensive tackle. Greg Mattison would take Patterson and turn him into a pretty solid 3-technique by 2027. Whether Patterson lasts that long on Michigan's roster is a question mark, considering the transfer portal era. Regardless, he has potential if he sticks around, but he's going to need a couple years to get up into that 290 pound range where he can be a viable option. If he can do that and maintain some of his quickness, he has a chance to be a very good player. But the most likely option for 2025 is for him to eat a high amount of calories and watch from the sideline on Saturday afternoons.
