Michigan football's commitment drought for the 2026 class has come to an end. On Friday, the Wolverines landed a big commitment from four-star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. The Georgia offensive lineman, who is named after legendary Alabama head coach Bear Bryant, is Michigan's third commit in the 2026 class.
So, how exactly did Michigan football win this recruitment? For much of his recruitment, Alabama was viewed as the favorite. Even this week, it felt like McWhorter was an Alabama lean. South Carolina, Clemson, Florida, and Michigan made up the rest of his top five schools. But as this recruitment went down the stretch, it became a two-team battle between Michigan and Alabama.
The Tide were still viewed as the favorite until just a few days ago, when suddenly Michigan snatched momentum. The Wolverines did an excellent job of communicating with McWhorter and were able to sell things like offensive line production and program success.
While McWhorter isn't the highest ranked recruit in the world, it's pretty telling that his top five schools are all very good programs. And the fact that Alabama badly wanted him should also be a sign that this kid is underrated.
This is an excellent addition to the 2026 class that shows that Michigan football means business. The Wolverines have top-five class aspirations, and to achieve that, they're going to have to win some recruitments that they have no business winning. Landing a commitment from a kid named after an Alabama coach is exactly that. Welcome aboard, Bear.