Michigan Wolverines recruiting: 2025 commit breakdown
Coming off its national championship win in January, Michigan and new head football coach Sherrone Moore are looking to parlay that into some major momentum on the recruiting trail.
The summer has been a huge few months for the Wolverines — who are starting to pick up steam on the trail. The Big Ten program’s class now features 16 commitments after seven pledges in June, two in July and two more in August.
Michigan Class Breakdown
Of the Wolverines’ 16 pledges, only three hail from the state of Michigan: four-star Franklin Wylie Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, four-star Howell defensive lineman Bobby Kanka and three-star offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn. Seven of the 16 are expected to play on the defensive side of the ball at the next level, leaving nine for the offensive side.
Moore and Co. boast one of the best secondary duos in the country with four-star Ivan Taylor — who flipped from Notre Dame in July — along with borderline top-100 prospect Kainoa Winston, one of the seven June additions. Four-stars Jaylen Williams, Jacob Washington, Julius Holly, Donovan Johnson and Jasper Parker all joined in the span of a few weeks, pushing the Wolverines to the verge of a top-10 class.
The aforementioned Taylor and four-star tight end Andrew Olesh committed within hours of each other on July 8, while top-100 wideout Andrew Marsh and four-star cornerback Jayden Sanders pledged earlier this month. The class did take a significant hit in August as well though, with four-star defensive lineman Nate Marshall, their top overall commitment, flipped to Auburn.
Top Wolverines Offensive Commit: WR Andrew Marsh
Even prior to Moore taking over as head coach from Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines had their centerpiece of the class locked in with Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot four-star quarterback Carter Smith. Then the priority was building an arsenal of weapons around him. The 6-foot-0.5, 175-pound Marsh is exactly that, hauling in 65 passes for 1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.
He chose the Wolverines over USC, Colorado, Texas, Washington and more than a dozen other programs.
“Michigan is really just somewhere I feel really comfortable,” Marsh told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “Close to the coaches over the years. We stayed in really good contact. It’s somewhere that wins every year and somewhere I feel I can be developed and get to the next level.”
Top Defensive Commit: SAF Ivan Taylor
After losing Marshall, one of the nation’s top defensive linemen, Taylor becomes the Wolverines’ highest-ranked defensive commit. The son of former NFL star Ike Taylor, Ivan was committed to Notre Dame since December 2023 before flipping his pledge.
Even after his initial commitment to the Fighting Irish, Michigan’s coaching staff never relented in their pursuit of him. Taylor has a chance to see the field early in Ann Arbor, according to On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power.
“He has the NFL pedigree,” says Power. “It’s easy to see it. He’s a smart player. He’s well-rounded. He primarily plays safety at his high school. The first thing that sticks out about him is his fluidity in his movements. He is a very loose flexible athlete. He changes directions very well. He looks like the son of an NFL player with his ability to always be in a good position. He’s rarely caught napping and plays with a high level of awareness.”