Kyle Whittingham has made a great statement with his first offseason at Michigan. Even though he got a later start than most, Whittingham made quick work on the recruiting trail for Michigan, retaining as many players as he could, but also building a solid recruiting class for the future.
With 21 recruits so far in the 2027 recruiting class, Whittingham currently has the No. 11 class in the nation by Rivals rankings, and has done so without a single five-star recruit. While we hope that won't be a trend for Whittingham's classes going forward, it is one heck of a start for Michigan's new leading man.
There is one commitment that fans loved because it came at the expense of Ohio State, and that is four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr., who hails from the Buckeye state. Not only is he an Ohio native, but he was between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, ultimately choosing Whittingham over Ryan Day.
This is looking to become a trend for Whittingham as he is hitting the Buckeye state hard for quite a few recruits, including four-star EDGE Asa Burch, another Ohio native who is already crystal-balled to Michigan.
Kyle Whittingham isn't afraid of of Ohio State and his Michigan recruiting patterns prove it
The fact that Burch is predicted to land at Michigan shouldn't come as a huge surprise, especially being a Michigan legacy. Burch's father, Alfie Burch, played at Michigan in the early 90s, and now his son could be following in his footsteps.
The Warren, Ohio native has a staggering 93% chance to land with the Wolverines, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. Of the 23 offers Burch has so far, Michigan and Ohio State make up two of them, and Ryan Day doesn't just hand out offers to every Ohio native.
While Ohio State has consistently dominated the recruiting trail in the Big Ten, that doesn't mean Whittingham is going to back down in his new position at Michigan. If there is one thing Whittigham showed in his previous 42 years of coaching, it's that he can recruit out of state. Just look at the majority of commits in Michigan's 2027 class.
While his in-state recruiting could use some work, Whittingham going after blue-chip recruits out of Ohio sends the statement to Ohio State that he isn't going to back down. If there is one thing Whittingham is proving with this type of recruiting pattern, it's that he isn't afraid of the Buckeyes.
Burch is just the first Ohio native that Whittingham is hoping to get in the building at Michigan, along with Torbert, who uttered the most amazing quote the day he committed to the Wolverines. Knowing he hails from Ohio and chose Michigan over Ohio State, Torbert dubbed himself 'the villain' now and is ready to get to work with Whittingham and his staff.
Ohio State better be ready for what Whittingham is bringing to the table, because if this is what he is like on the recruiting trail, imagine what The Game will look like come November.
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