Michigan football just had its first major recruiting weekend of the Spring. They hosted a plethora of five stars, top 100 recruits, and other top targets. Among the most important visitors was five-star EDGE Carter Meadows. Hailing from Gonzaga High School in Washington DC, Meadows is exactly the kind of guy Michigan wants.
He's a high academic kid who is truly looking for the best of both worlds between football and academics. Gonzaga, being one of the top academic high schools in America, has been friendly to Michigan football in the past, most recently producing safety Kainoa Winston.
Meadows is set to visit Penn State and Ohio State in the coming days. Early on, this one looks like a Michigan vs Penn State battle for the elite prospect. Both teams have lots they can point to in terms of EDGE success. According to ON3, Penn State holds a slight lead in this recruitment, but Michigan has cut into the Nittany Lions lead following his visit to Ann Arbor.
Why Michigan football can land 5-star Carter Meadows
With Michigan now playing the NIL game as well, things could be shaping up well for the Wolverines. While Penn State did steal an elite prospect from Michigan in the 2025 cycle in tight end Andrew Olesh, Olesh had grown up a Penn State fan and had plenty of family ties to the program.
Overall, this is one of the most important recruitments in the 2026 class for Michigan football. This is a very winnable recruitment, and getting one of the top EDGE rushers in the nation to Ann Arbor would be amazing for the Wolverines.
While Meadows has not yet scheduled an official visit with Michigan, I'd definitely expect one to be scheduled soon. That's when Michigan football can really win this recruitment. Stay tuned for updates.