Michigan football recruiting visitors list for the Penn State game

The biggest game of the year for the Michigan Wolverines also gets the biggest recruiting list of the year we’ve had so far. There’s only one official visitor now after four-star linebacker Arion Carter canceled his trip, but there are a ton of quality 2024 and 2025 prospects and there are likely to be more additions that pop up on the sidelines on Saturday.

Commits

Covenant Christian (TX) four-star DL Enow Etta - No. 111 overall, No. 14 DL

Dexter (MI) four-star RB Cole Cabana - No. 162 overall, No. 6 RB

West Bloomfield (MI) four-star IOL Amir Herring - No. 284 overall, No. 13 IOL

Imhotep Institute (PA) four-star LB Semaj Bridgeman - No. 296 overall, No. 22 LB

Gonzaga (DC) four-star OT Evan Link - No. 299 overall, No. 26 OT

Oswego (IL) four-star TE Deakon Tonielli - No. 384 overall, No. 19 TE

West Bloomfield (MI) three-star WR Semaj Morgan - No. 471 overall, No. 64 WR

Cardinal Ritter (MO) three-star WR Fredrick Moore - No. 517 overall, No. 68 WR

Pionniers de Touraine (FR) three-star DL Aymeric Koumba - No. 748 overall, No. 66 edge

Huron (MI) three-star K Adam Samaha - No. 1,693 overall, No. 6 K

Ensworth (TN) four-star LB Mason Curtis - No. 196 overall, No. 14 LB

Michigan will get most of its recruiting class on hand for the biggest matchup of the season. Link, Morgan, Koumba and Samaha will all be taking their official visits this weekend, so they will be even more involved.

2023

Kankakee (IL) four-star CB Jyaire Hill - No. 249 overall, No. 28 CB

Getting Hill back on campus is an important development since it seems like he is still legitimately torn between Michigan and Illinois. The Illini’s hot start to the season isn’t helping Michigan, but this will be Hill’s second trip to campus even after his official visit. I’m not sure what else Michigan can do here to overcome the pull of being the headliner of his hometown school, but it will get another chance to impress him this weekend.

Alta (UT) four-star OT Taliafi Taala - No. 386 overall, No. 31 OT

Michigan offered Taala back in July, but not much has been heard about him since. But clearly the staff has been working on him quietly and is now being rewarded with a visit. Importantly, this is an unofficial visit, so Michigan will be able to get him back on campus for an official visit later on. Taala’s other offers include Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Michigan State, Oregon State, USC, Utah and Utah State

Park Hill (MO) three-star ATH Kendrick Bell - No. 1,121 overall, No. 100 ATH

After receiving his offer from Michigan back in early September, it felt like only a matter of time until he committed to the Wolverines. He is Ronnie Bell’s younger brother and his only other offers are from UMass and Northern Iowa. But the younger Bell scheduled his official visit for this weekend and it would not be surprising to see a commitment after he gets the red carpet rolled out for him.

2024

Chaminade-Madonna (FL) four-star S Zaquan Patterson - No. 34 overall, No. 4 S

As you’ll see throughout this list, Jay Harbaugh will be flexing his recruiting muscles this weekend with multiple top safeties slated to attend, starting with Patterson. This will mark Patterson’s first trip to Ann Arbor. He holds offers from basically everyone in the country already and has visited Auburn and Miami so far this season. It’s not likely Michigan eventually lands a stud like this from the south but it’s good to get him on campus.

Northside (GA) four-star S Ricardo Jones - No. 59 overall, No. 6 S

Michigan has a better shot with Jones since this is already his second visit to campus following an appearance at the BBQ at the Big House this summer. Jones’ offer list isn’t as quite as impressive as Patterson’s but he still has national attention. He’s already been to games at Auburn and Tennessee this season, but Michigan is still off to a good start here.

Hiram (GA) four-star TE Walter Matthews - No. 116 overall, No. 4 TE

Like Jay Harbaugh, Grant Newsome will also have his hands full this weekend with multiple 2024 tight ends expected on campus for this game. This is Matthews’ first trip to Ann Arbor, but he’s been trying to plan a visit for a while so it’s good to see it finally culminate in a firsthand experience. Matthews has also visited Ohio State this season so he looks willing to leave the south for college.

Corner Canyon (UT) four-star QB Isaac Wilson - No. 122 overall, No. 10 QB

Wilson is an intriguing prospect to host for a couple reasons. First of all, he’s the younger brother of former BYU and current New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. This is also evidence Michigan is recruiting other quarterbacks in the 2024 class besides Jadyn Davis, although it has yet to offer Wilson. Given his family legacy, BYU is going to be tough to beat in this race.

Millikan (CA) four-star WR Jordan Anderson - No. 167 overall, No. 25 WR

This will be Anderson’s second trip across the country to Ann Arbor after visiting for the BBQ at the Big House. There’s reason to believe Michigan may even lead at this point, though there is a long way to go in this recruitment. USC looking good this season doesn’t help things, but Michigan will have more opportunities to get him on campus and have Ron Bellamy work his magic.

Rockhurst (MO) four-star OT Andrew Sprague - No. 191 overall, No. 12 OT

Sprague seems like a quiet prospect who doesn’t do many interviews, but this will be his second visit to campus already after a trip back in June. Michigan has recruited well in Missouri recently with Sherrone Moore and Jay Harbaugh both doing good work in the state. So far this season, it looks like the only other visit Sprague has taken is to Kansas for the TCU game.

Miami Central (FL) four-star WR Earl Kulp - No. 201 overall, No. 28 WR

This will be Kulp’s second appearance at a Michigan game during his recruitment after he was at the Ohio State game last season. Kulp has a compact but impressive offer list, which includes Colorado, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt and South Carolina. If the big southern schools mostly stay out of this race, this could be one Michigan can win.

Bellevue (WA) four-star TE Hogan Hansen - No. 247 overall, No. 13 TE

Continuing the trend of 2024 prospects, this will be Hansen’s second trip to Ann Arbor after visiting for the BBQ at the Big House this summer. The 2024 tight end class is loaded, and Hansen is one of the few guys Michigan has identified as one of the top targets. The West Coast schools will have a good shot, but Michigan has the best chance to pull him out of the region.

Central Catholic (PA) four-star LB Anthony Speca - No. 263 overall, No. 17 LB

Speca blows everyone else on this list out of the water by making his fifth trip to Michigan this weekend before he even finishes up his junior season. This looks like it will be a classic Midwestern battle with Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State all also pursuing Speca. But five visits is tough to beat and shows that Speca has extremely high interest in the program.

Taylor (TX) three-star TE Ian Flynt - No. 355 overall, No. 17 TE

Flynt only holds offers from Houston, Kansas, Rice and UTSA at this point, but Michigan has enough interest to host him for a visit. It looks like he has the potential to blow up on the trail, with other visits to Clemson, Oregon and Kansas State also in the books or on tap later this season.

Tompkins (TX) three-star OT Ashton Funk - No. 391 overall, No. 29 OT

Another three-star prospect from Texas, Funk has an offer list that belies his ranking. He holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC. Getting Funk to travel this far north for a visit is a good first step in differentiating Michigan from the rest of the pack.

Southfield (MI) three-star CB Jalen Todd - No. 44 CB

Todd is a good in-state prospect to keep an eye on as his recruiting cycle develops. He earned an offer from Michigan recently following a visit for the BBQ at the Big House. His other offers from Power 5 schools are Boston College and Louisville.

2025

Zephyrhills (FL) five-star S DJ Pickett - No. 8 overall, No. 2 S

Even though he is only a sophomore, this will be Pickett’s second trip to Michigan and the first for a game. Pickett already holds offers from everyone in the country and will be a major recruit in his class. Banking as many visits as possible in his recruitment can only help.

Chaminade-Madonna (FL) four-star CB Chris Ewald - No. 39 overall, No. 3 CB

Ewald will be visiting with his fellow Chaminade-Madonna Prep secondary member this weekend. Unlike Patterson, this will be Ewald’s second visit to Ann Arbor and he has more visits planned. Ewald was at Michigan’s spring game in April and is coming back up for the Michigan State game in a couple weeks. Although it’s early, that’s some serious interest for a Florida prospect.

Findlay (OH) Ryan Montgomery - unranked QB

Montgomery has been on campus several times before when Michigan was recruiting his older brother Luke, who ended up committing to Ohio State. That’s likely to happen with Ryan, too, but quarterback is a unique position and the Buckeyes may end up liking someone else more, even though he’s a top-100 player to some services.

Howell (MI) Bobby Kanka - unranked DL

Another guy that has been to Ann Arbor a million times, as long as something doesn’t go wrong and he keeps developing, Kanka looks like he’ll be a future Wolverine.

Wylie E. Groves (MI) Avery Gach - unranked OT

After receiving an offer from Ohio State last week, Gach is firmly on the radar as a potential dude in the 2025 class. It’s good Michigan is getting him on campus right after that development and he should receive his offer while on his visit.

Ensworth (TN) Ethan Utley - unranked DL

A teammate of 2024 commit Mason Curtis, Utley has tagged along on visits to Michigan multiple times now. He’s got a long offer list already and should be a national recruit.

Plainfield East (IL) Quinn Morris - unranked WR

As the younger brother of freshman Tyler Morris, expect Quinn to be on campus for every home game. His only two offers right now are from Michigan and Minnesota.