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Calvin Russell commitment primer: Michigan leading, but too close to call

Where do things stand with five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell on his decision day? We analyze it from a Michigan football perspective.
ByChris Peterson|
Miami Northwestern's Calvin Russell Jr. takes a selfie with his state medal after his team won the Class 3A championship against Raines on Dec. 14, 2024.
Miami Northwestern's Calvin Russell Jr. takes a selfie with his state medal after his team won the Class 3A championship against Raines on Dec. 14, 2024. | Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan football experienced some recruiting fireworks on Friday as four-star wide receiver Travis Johnson committed to the Wolverines.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound wideout is ranked No. 144 overall, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He's the second top-150 recruit committed at the position, but an even bigger fish could be joining the Wolverines' class on Saturday that's five-star receiver Calvin Russell.

Russell is ranked as a five-star recruit via the On3 Industry Rankings. 247 Sports also has him ranked as a five-star, as well as being ranked 47th in their composite rankings. The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder out of Miami is an elite athlete who is stellar on the basketball court, too.

That has played a role in his recruitment. Russell will announce tonight at 9 PM EST. His final choice comes down to Michigan football, Syracuse, Florida State, and Oregon. Rivals ranked Michigan as the No. 1 contender on Friday. The Wolverines are also the leader according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (71.3 percent), thanks to a prediction from a Miami insider.

The only other expert projection came from Aiden Sen of Rivals a couple of weeks ago. The Miami insider also had his prediction on LSU recently, so it's hard to trust his projection.

Dusty May made an impact with his offer to let Russell play basketball. Syracuse is a strong contender because of that, too, along with Florida State.

This might be one of those old-school recruitments where we really don't know until he chooses a hat on a table. I have a feeling the choice will be Michigan. Fran Brown and Syracuse are a real threat, mostly because of the head coach.

But Michigan has two dynamic head coaches recruiting Russell, plus five-star QB Bryce Underwood. Michigan is also poised to compete for national titles in football and basketball over the next few years.

Can Syracuse say the same thing? I don't see Michigan getting outspent, so all things considered, I believe Michigan lands Russell. Steve Wiltfong quoted a source that said the same thing.

For now, though, it's too close to call.

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