Michigan football trending near the top for elite defensive back recruit

With Big Ten Media Days taking center stage this week, recruiting feels on the back burner, but there are still some essential targets on the board in the 2026 class for Michigan football.

One of the top players still left on Michigan's board is four-star defensive Davon Benjamin. The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back out of Westlake Village, California, is ranked 36th overall, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

247 Sports has him listed as a safety. Michigan views him as more of a cornerback. Personally, he reminds me a lot of Daxton Hill, who played safety, cornerback, and nickel for Michigan football.

Rivals ranks Benjamin as one of the best cornerbacks in the 2026 class, and on Monday, the Wolverines cracked his top five along with Oregon, Washington, Texas, and North Carolina.

Where Michigan football stands with elite DB

For weeks, reports have had Michigan football and Oregon near the top of this recruitment. The Ducks have been the favorite. They are also the leader, according to a crystal ball from 247 Sports.

Oregon is the heavy favorite via the Rivals/On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, with a better than 90 percent chance for the Ducks to land the talented four-star defensive back.

There are three recruiting prediction machine projections, however, they were logged in March. Michigan football hosted Benjamin for an official visit. The Wolverines seem to be trending up, and after missing on Calvin Russell last month, it seems like there would be extra funds in the NIL budget for a prospect like Benjamin or Savion Hiter, the top-ranked running back in the 2026 class.

Benjamin is expected to announce a commitment on August 2nd, so there's still time for Michigan, which needs to pull on the full-court press to land one of the best defensive backs in the 2026 class.