Recruiting Roundup: Michigan makes big first impression on five-star OL

It has been two weeks since the BBQ at the Big House for the Michigan Wolverines, but reactions continue to pour in from the final big recruiting event of the summer. On today’s roundup, we’ll discuss the top ranked offensive lineman in the 2025 class, a four-star safety and a ...

Five-star OL raves about Michigan visit

The top offensive lineman — and one of the top overall prospects — in the 2025 class is five-star David Sanders. A teammate of Jadyn Davis and Channing Goodwin at Providence Day in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder has been trying to visit Ann Arbor for quite some time now, but it just hadn’t worked out until his first ever trip for the BBQ at the Big House.

Speaking with The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb, it doesn’t sound like his visit in late July will be his last.

“It’s been a great experience — and all they were talking about was, ‘we’ve got to get you back up because we’ve got to show you so much more,’ so I can’t wait to be back,” Sanders said. “I think it’s going to be for a game this year, so that’s my plan, to come back for a game.

“The Ohio State game.”

One unique aspect of his visit for the BBQ was his presentation from strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, which is something he admitted he has not seen at any other school up to this point.

“(Herbert) was very detailed with what he had to talk about, which was very impressive because nowhere I’ve been have they let us be in the strength and conditioning program, meet everybody, and actually contribute to what they’re doing, so that was a little bit different and very unique about Michigan, which I liked,” Sanders said. “He was very knowledgeable and very detail-oriented type of coach. He isn’t a coach that is going to throw 600 pounds on your back and make you squat it. (Laughter). He wants to make sure you’re doing everything right before we do that, and make sure the development is right to prevent injury. So that’s one thing I liked about him and what he had going on with his program.”

Sanders also met with Jim Harbaugh for well over an hour, and got to bond with Sherrone Moore as well. All in all, it sounds like his first visit to Michigan could not have gone any better. Of course, this will be a difficult recruitment to win, but as long as the Wolverines continue to go after him and get him back on campus, they’ll have a shot.

Wolverines also impress four-star S

Jay Harbaugh is known for uncovering diamonds in the rough on the recruiting trail. He did it when he was the running backs coach, and he’s continuing to do it as the safeties coach. A recent example is 2025 Messiah Delhomme, who was an unranked prospect when Michigan offered him in June, but is now a four-star recruit.

Delhomme also attended the BBQ at the Big House last month and spoke with TMI’s Brice Marich ($) about his time in Ann Arbor.

“The visit was really great,” Delhomme said. “I met the whole coaching staff. I was able to go over nutrition with the nutritionist and also had went over academics. I got to get one-on-one time with the safeties coach (Jay Harbaugh) and defensive backs coach (Steve Clinkscale). They gave me things to work on to improve my game. I also got to see the campus.”

Among the standout aspects of his trip was — once again — the presentation from Herbert.

“The strength and condition coach, coach Herb (stood out the most),” Delhomme said. “Also because he is all about having strong muscles everywhere in your body from head to toe.”

The trip went so well for Delhomme that he exclaimed Michigan as “at the top” of his recruitment at the moment, and that “the vibe and atmosphere I felt when I got there was different from the other schools I’ve been to.” Much like Sanders, Delhomme also intends on coming back to Michigan for a game this fall.

At 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, Delhomme hails from Newport News, Virginia and holds other offers from Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, Boston College and more.

2025 DB also leaves impressed after BBQ visit

Another player in the 2025 class who visited for the BBQ at the Big House was recently-offered unranked defensive back Jahmari DeLoatch. He hails from Chesapeake, Virginia and has other offers from Wake Forest, Charlotte, Duke and other low level schools, but Michigan is far and away the top football program he has an offer from.

Speaking to On3’s EJ Holland ($), DeLoatch recapped his visit, and yet again, provided another endorsement for coach Herbert.

“The visit was fun,” DeLoatch said. “Everybody welcomed me. It was nothing but positive vibes. I enjoyed it a lot. I really liked the coaches. They were very energetic. I liked the way they coached me. I also liked (Herbert). The staff inviting me in and making me feel welcomed was the biggest highlight.”

DeLoatch also has a very strong relationship with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who he said was the “biggest reason I’m interested now. He’s the reason I wanted to check out Michigan. He’s very positive and energetic. He’s a good coach.”

He also said he likes the scheme fit at Michigan, and that the Wolverines sit high on his list after the trip, so it doesn’t appear he is in any hurry to shut anything down in the near future.