Michigan leading for another blue-chip after canceled visit to Oregon

Michigan football has a ton of momentum on the recruiting trail right now, and it appears that the Wolverines have taken the lead with another blue-chip prospect in the 2026 class.

Four-star linebacker Kenneth Goodwin, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound linebacker out of Torrance, California, visited Michigan football this past weekend.

Before that, he was projected to Michigan football with a crystal ball from 247 Sports. However, after the Wolverines impressed Goodwin on his official visit, it feels like they have grabbed the lead for the No. 251 overall recruit in the 2026 class.

Michigan football is "at the top"

“Michigan is at the top. I feel like I can fit in very well with the program and the players," Goodwin told EJ Holland of The Wolverine.

Goodwin has some impressive teams involved in his recruitment that also feature Georgia, SMU, and Oregon, among other contenders. Fans might scoff at SMU, but the Mustangs are a Power-4 program, with major NIL resources and are fresh off a berth in the College Football Playoff.

SMU football is back. However, the Mustangs probably aren't going to win out with Goodwin. The Wolverines have actually been projected to flip an SMU commit, Markel Dabney -- a linebacker/athlete who visited over the weekend, too.

What should make Michigan fans feel even better about Goodwin is that he canceled a scheduled visit to Oregon this weekend. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Wolverines are line for a commitment.

Michigan is the favorite (24.9 percent) according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, but there haven't been any expert projections yet.

However, if Michigan is "at the top," the Wolverines just need to close. Maybe they did already.