Where do Michigan's linebacker targets sign?
This is a huge burning question ahead of signing day. Michigan football has a desperate need for high-end linebacker talent and has two elite options still on the table in Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and Duke commit Bradley Gompers.
Throughout the cycle, there has been optimism with Owusu-Boateng. He's had excellent things to say following his Michigan visits, and now the Wolverines can offer extremely competitive NIL packages. This one is coming down to Michigan and Colorado, and honestly it's too close to tell who will win his signature.
The Buffs have been gaining momentum on the recruiting trail, and are certainly having a well improved season, finishing 9-3. Colorado also offers a more straightforward path to freshman playing time. At Michigan, all three starting linebackers could return for another season. I feel cautiously optimistic here because of the things Owusu-Boateng has said about Michigan, but Colorado and Coach Prime do so well with recruits that you can't feel safe. This one is up in the air.
Michigan's other main linebacker target is Bradley Gompers. This one is looking a little more pessimistic. Gompers was expected to visit Michigan for the Northwestern game, and the Wolverines had lots of momentum at the time. He ended up not making it in for that visit, and since then, momentum has faded.
Dialogue is likely still continuing between Gompers and Michigan, but it seems less likely that he'll be signing with the maize and blue. One hope for Michigan is that Gompers takes his recruitment into February. That would allow Michigan football to get him back on campus, and would greatly increase their chances. We'll see what happens here, but the current expectation seems to be that Gompers will sign with Duke.