Tacos, cakes, golf, commitments and lots of buzz: Sights and sounds from Michigan's Victors Weekend
Michigan Wolverines football‘s Victors Weekend had it all, and by all accounts it was a smashing success that has already yielded significant results. Under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, the Maize and Blue continue to pick up steam on the recruiting trail, having hosted over a dozen 2025 official visitors during the most important weekend of a pivotal month.
As of mid-afternoon on Monday, Michigan already added three commitments from the weekend in a pair of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy products, four-star running back Donovan Johnson and three-star offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn, along with four-star New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw wide receiver Jacob Washington. Johnson was on an unofficial visit last week, while Strayhorn and Washington were part of Victors Weekend.
The Wolverines are also trending for multiple other prospects that were on campus, with The Wolverine’s EJ Holland placing expert predictions for U-M to land West Roxbury (Mass.) Dexter School four-star offensive lineman Hardy Watts, Dejstrehan (La.) High three-star wide receiver Phillip Wright III, Stockbridge (Ga.) High three-star linebacker Chase Taylor, Fulshear (Texas) Katy Jordan four-star wide receiver Andrew Marsh, Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh four-star tight end Andrew Olesh and New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw four-star wide receiver Jacob Washington.
Taylor set a commitment time of 4 p.m. ET, per his Instagram Story, meaning he could be next to jump on board.
The food provided, relationships forged, iconic campus and more surely played a part in the big weekend. Let’s start with the fuel that was served.
The food in particular was a hit, with Mexican being served Saturday.
Strayhorn (and presumably other recruits) enjoyed Michigan-themed cookie cakes in their hotel room.
And finally, The Big House cake is back, with a new touch: scoreboards displaying that the Wolverines won the 2023 national championships.
Here are more social media sights and sounds from the weekend. Keep in mind that this is a roundup of the recruits who posted on social media, not a list of the prospects who were on campus.
QB commit Carter Smith, Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot
Michigan’s quarterback commit took in a summer workout. Smith has been locked in since making his pledge in November and is a leader of the 2025 class.
DL Nate Marshall, Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick
Marshall committed to Michigan this spring but has visited elsewhere, even telling AuburnLive following a trip to see the Tigers that it’s “Auburn or Michigan.” His fellow commits, however, remain intent on keeping the top-50 prospect as part of the group.
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WR Andrew Marsh, Katy (Texas) Jordan
Marsh, the No. 61 overall player in 2025 per the On3 Industry Ranking, was originally set to take an official visit to Oklahoma but switched his weekend destination to Ann Arbor last week. He had already been on campus for an unofficial trip earlier this month. Michigan has made significant progress in his recruitment, now leading on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).
Here’s Marsh enjoying some time on the golf course during his visit.
Alcoa (Tenn.) High three-star tight end commit Eli Owens has made it known he wants Marsh to join the class.
OL Kaden Strayhorn, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Strayhorn’s weekend went so well that it ended in a commitment. A Michigan State legacy, Strayhorn decided he’ll play for the defending national champions.
Former Michigan lineman Olusegun Oluwatimi won the Rimington Trophy for the nation’s best center in 2022. Strayhorn is eyeing that title, as well, and he’ll get the chance to take home that hardware while wearing a winged helmet in the years to come.
OL Hardy Watts, West Roxbury (Mass.) Dexter
Coming out of the visit, Watts set a commitment date of July 1 at noon.
LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Owusu-Boateng posted a picture of himself flexing outside The Big House and also a shot of him with Michigan director of strength and conditioning Justin Tress in U-M’s massive, state-of-the-art weight room.
Boateng also spent ample time with Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito.
TE Andrew Olesh, Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh
Olesh spent time with Moore and has started to trend for the Maize and Blue.
He also put on the full Michigan uniform for a photoshoot at midfield.
WR Taz Williams, Red Oak (Texas) High
Williams snapped a photo in Michigan’s locker room.
Williams and Strayhorn could be key pieces of the Wolverines’ future offenses.
WR Jacob Washington, New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw
Trending to Michigan, Washington posted a U-M-produced video from his visit.
LB Kamar Archie, Princeton (N.J.) Hun School
Williams is imploring Archie to join him in Ann Arbor.
S Jordan Young, Monroe (N.C.) High (No. 67)
Michigan is in a battle with Clemson and others for Young, who also posted a mirror selfie from the locker room.
