The recruiting trail is not always sunshine and butterflies for head coaches, not even for a coach like Kyle Whittingham, who has been around this business for a long time now. Even in a blue-blood program, Whittingham has his struggles getting recruits and then keeping them away from programs working to flip their commitment.
Michigan and Whittingham recently lost three-star safety commit Maxwell Miles, as the Las Vegas native didn't flip his commitment to just any program, but a fellow Big Ten school. Miles flipped to Minnesota, a school that made him an offer around the same time as Michigan, but never stopped pushing for a visit even after he committed to the Wolverines.
Miles, who was one of 12 recruits Whittingham secured in the month of May, made an official visit to both Minnesota and UNLV, and not long after his visit this past weekend, flipped his decision. Flips happen, but it is the reason that Miles gave for his switch that will have Michigan fans scratching their heads.
"The turning point for me was definitely getting to hang around the staff and the guys on the team,” Miles told Rivals. “Everything just clicked for me, and I knew I could be a very valuable player in their defense, that’s Safety-U (University), and I love how I fit in.”
Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial DB Maxwell Miles flipped his commitment from Michigan to Minnesota over the weekend and went in-depth on his decision
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 2, 2026
"Minnesota is Safety-U and I can't wait to be a part of that."
Intel: https://t.co/1hcmzIOVYY pic.twitter.com/cHoyLc6amH
I don't know about you, but when I hear the 'Minnesota Golden Gophers,' I am not thinking Safety-U. Miles must have his programs mixed up because while Michigan probably isn't Safety-U either, it certainly doesn't feel like it is Minnesota either. Some would argue it is Alabama, LSU, or even worse, Ohio State, but Minnesota certainly isn't the school that comes to mind.
Losing Maxwell Miles hurts but isn't the end of the world for Michigan
While no program or head coach wants to lose a recruit, especially to another school in the same conference, losing Miles isn't the end of the world for Michigan. Even though Miles chose Michigan quickly after receiving an offer from the Wolverines, it is clear Michigan wasn't [ushing hard to keep the three-star safety in the building.
That could be for a multitude of reasons, the biggest one being that the Wolverines landed a few other defensive back commitments since Miles committed to Michigan. The two biggest being three-star DB Charles Woodson Jr., the son of Michigan legend Charles Woodson Sr., and four-star DB Tavares Harrington, who can play just about any position in the secondary.
Losing Miles wasn't huge in terms of Michigan's 2027 recruiting class rankings as Rivals still has them at No. 10 in the country, and No. 4 in the Big Ten. Minnesota isn't very close behind either, coming in at No. 10 in the conference rankings.
Whittingham will also have multiple opportunities to fill the slot left open by Maxwell, with the biggest recruiting weekends for Michigan coming up in the middle of June. As of right now, three safeties, including Woodson Jr., will attend Michigan for an official visit; the other two, four-star Pole Moala and four-star Gabe Jenkins, are committed elsewhere, but Whittingham will have a chance to get a few flips of his own.
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