Michigan Wolverines news: New Michigan football commitment, a hockey sweep of MSU and more

The Michigan Wolverines completed a sweep of Michigan State in hockey, plus Michigan football lands a new commitment in 2025, and more. 

If fans of the Michigan Wolverines needed a pick-me-up following the loss to Indiana in basketball, the Michigan hockey team sure provided one on Saturday with a 4-3 overtime win over Michigan State.

The Michigan Wolverines who are ranked fifth, have been on a roll of late and had won seven games in a row going into last night. However, with the game in Detroit, it was a battle with the 15th-ranked Spartans and the contest went to overtime tied up at 3-3.

And just when it appeared that Michigan hockey and Michigan State would wind up in a tie, defenseman Luke Hughes found the back of the net with 0.3 seconds left in overtime to give the Michigan Wolverines a dramatic win and two-game sweep of Sparty.

Erik Portillo was stellar again for the Wolverines with 30 saves between the pipes. T.J. Hughes opened the scoring for Michigan, yet MSU scored twice and led in the second period before a tying goal by Dylan Duke.

U-M led 3-2 before a third-period goal evened the game and sent it to overtime before the Wolverines were able to steal a win at the end. Michigan hockey is 20-9-1 on the season and 12-8 in the Big Ten. U-M will take on Ohio State next weekend.

Michigan football lands a highly-touted 2025 recruit

While we have shifted our focus for the 2024 recruiting class for Michigan football, the Wolverines have already added their second pledge in 2025 and it’s another really talented prospect as Mantrez Walker of Buford, Georgia committed to Michigan on Saturday.

Chris Ewald was the first verbal pledge for Michigan football in the 2025 class and he’s a 6-foot cornerback ranked 38th overall in the 247 sports composite rankings. Walker is 5-foot-11, 215 pounds and while he isn’t ranked yet according to 247 sports, he’s a blue-chip prospect.

Buford is a big-time program and it would be great for the Michigan Wolverines to have a better presence at the school. This commitment helps, but it’s also a long way until signing day in 2025.

Walker isn’t ranked but his offer list tells the story. Yet, the one big offer missing is from Georiga. Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, Arkansas, and others have offered but no Georgia or Alabama yet.

The Bulldogs worry me down the road if they decide to jump in the mix with an offer. It’d probably be hard to say no. However, Walker seems locked in and if Michigan football can hold the commitment, just like with Ewald, it would be getting a really good player.

Michigan football players to take part in Super Bowl

Like you needed reminding, it’s Super Bowl Sunday and that means we’ll see a few Michigan football players looking to win Super Bowl championships.

Frank Clark and Chad Henne actually won with the Chiefs a couple of years ago and could add to their collections of rings on Sunday. Mike Danna too.

Clark is a three-time pro bowler with Kansas City but he might not even be the best Michigan pass rusher in the game as Brandon Graham is another staple for the Eagles.

Of course, Graham won a Super Bowl with the Eagles when he stripped former Wolverine Tom Brady late in the Super Bowl and he’d love nothing more than to do the same to another elite QB — Patrick Mahomes on Sunday.

Either way, a Michigan football player will be on a Super Bowl-winning team on Sunday.