3-star DL Cameron Brandt flips to Michigan from Stanford: 'It just felt right'

Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon three-star defensive lineman Cameron Brandt originally committed to Stanford on July 30. However, he chose not to sign with the Cardinal during the Early Signing Period.

Brandt built connections within the Stanford program and loved the school’s elite academics. But this weekend, he made a “really tough” decision after talking with his family, coaches and the people he trusts.

On Monday, Brandt called Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor to decommit from the program. He then spoke with Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston and said, “I’m ready to come.” Brandt officially announced his flip to the Wolverines during National Signing Day.

“It just felt right,” Brandt told On3. “I like the campus overall. I liked the people who I was gonna be around. I know it’s not as great as Stanford academically, but it’s still a great academic school. I would be able to still do engineering as a major and experience people all around who want to go at it, want to get better each and every day at football.”

Brandt believes Michigan can prepare him for the NFL

Elston and special teams coordinator/safeties coach Jay Harbaugh were Brandt’s lead recruiters. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defender took an official visit to Ann Arbor on the weekend of Jan. 21.

“In the end, I really decided to make a decision that was best for me in all aspects and that’s what it came down to,” said Brandt, the No. 407 overall prospect and No. 46 defensive lineman in the 2023 On3 Consensus.

According to Brandt, Elston was a “really big” factor in his decision to choose Michigan. During their discussions, Elston showed the California native what he could achieve if he chose the Wolverines.

“I really like what he has planned out for me as a player and what his plan is to see me grow as a player,” Brandt said. “I really like that. He’s experienced, he knows what he’s doing, he’s gotten a lot of his d-linemen to the NFL. I just felt confident in his capabilities to make me into the best defensive lineman I can be.”

Michigan checks multiple boxes for Brandt. It is a Big Ten and College Playoff contender and one of the top public universities in the world. The Wolverines play in the largest stadium in North America and have recently gotten multiple defensive lineman drafted, including Aidan Hutchinson. All those reasons, and more, have Brandt ready to wear the maize-and-blue.

“I’m really excited about that because that’s just preparing me for the biggest stage, which is the NFL,” Brandt said. “I feel like me going there, it’s going to prepare me mentally and physically for (what) I’m gonna encounter in the NFL because I’ll being going against, I would say, some of the best o-linemen and training and playing with some of the best d-linemen, some of the best players. Iron sharpens iron, each and every day, really. I feel that’ll be a great experience for me to get better and develop.”