Michigan knocking on door of top-10 class for 2025 heading into mid-July

The Michigan Wolverines have continued their recruiting momentum into the month of July with a weekend commitment from three-star Destrehan (La.) wide receiver Phillip Wright III. The 16th pledge of the cycle has U-M sitting in the No. 11 spot in the On3 National Team Recruiting Rankings.

During a recent visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan impressed his father and sold the vision on what the match could bring.

“Everything was great,” Phillip Wright II said. “The staff was really friendly. They were knowledgeable about football. They were knowledgeable about Phillip and his accolades. The staff communicated as family. I had a good experience talking to them about the way they could use Phillip and the way he could produce for their team.

“Going into the visit, I felt comfortable with the guys but still skeptical as far as the distance. We do have offers that are closer. But they changed our mind frame. We felt comfortable. We felt like part of the family. They really gave us some insight that we were really looking for.”

Wright is a three-star prospect and the No. 421 player in the 2025 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He also comes in as the No. 69 receiver prospect and the 12th-best player in the state of Louisiana.

Michigan 2025 Recruiting Class

Following Saturday’s commitment from Wright, the overall 2025 recruiting ranking for Michigan (90.71) sits higher than Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, Texas, Penn State, USC, Rutgers and Kentucky

Rounding out Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class are Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick EDGE Nate Marshall, Top 100 West Orange (Fl.) safety Ivan Taylor, Top 100 Southern Lehigh (Pa.) TE Andrew Olesh, Top 100 Gonzaga (Md.) safety Kainoa Winston, On300 Ft. Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith, four-star IMG Academy RB Donovan Johnson, four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, four-star Palatine (Ill.) High EDGE Jaylen Williams, four-star Archbishop Shaw (La.) wide receiver Jacob Washington, four-star Alpharetta (Ga.) EDGE Julius Holly, four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka, three-star Archbishop Shaw (La.) RB Jasper Parker, three-star IMG Academy (Mich.) IOL Kaden Strayhorn, three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens and three-star Stockbridge (Ga.) LB Chase Taylor.

Several 2025 top targets remain on Michigan’s board, such as five-star Overland Park (Kans.) Blue offensive tackle Andrew Babalola, Top 100 Monroe (N.C.) High safety Jordan Young, Top 100 Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman offensive tackle Douglas Utu, Top 100 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, among others.

2025 Big Ten Recruiting Rankings

Michigan is currently No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference and trails Ohio State and Oregon. All 18 programs currently possess at least seven verbal commits this cycle.

1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Michigan
4. Penn State
5. USC
6. Rutgers
7. Washington
8. Wisconsin
9. Nebraska
10. UCLA
11. Maryland
12. Iowa
13. Purdue
14. Indiana
15. Minnesota
16. Michigan State
17. Illinois
18. Northwestern