In terms of the 2028 recruiting targets for Michigan football, they don't get much more important than five-star offensive tackle Antijuan Wilkes.
Out of Detroit Cass Tech, the 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive tackle is ranked 14th overall, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Wilkes is the second-best offensive tackle in the entire 2028 class, as well as the No. 1 player from the state of Michigan.
The Wolverines have been trending up in the recruitment of the elite offensive tackle. A new coaching staff can always shake things up a bit, but Jim Harding seems like a weapon for the Wolverines, especially when it comes to O-line development. He's got the track record that speaks for itself.
According to Brice Marich of The Michigan Insider, Wilkes will be back on campus this weekend for the Iowa game.
"Yes, I'm coming back to Michigan. I just missed the Michigan atmosphere," Wilkes told Marich.
Michigan football in solid position to land elite offensive lineman
In-state recruiting has been a little hit-and-miss for Kyle Whittingham so far. Michigan missed on five-star wideout Dakota Guerrant, although there are still hopes for the Wolverines to flip him from Oregon; the passing game needs to improve, though.
Donald Tabron, a five-star quarterback who also plays for Detroit Cass Tech, committed to Texas A&M. Michigan was behind the 8-ball in that recruitment, in part because quarterbacks are on a different timeline.
Michigan fans should have optimism when it comes to Wilkes, though. This weekend's visit will be the fifth to Ann Arbor for the five-star prospect, putting Michigan football in the lead for visits, with five, just one ahead of Michigan State.
The Spartans are trying to make it interesting. Ohio State is the other top contender, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Michigan has a golden opportunity to build an elite 2028 recruiting class. Wilkes could be part of that, along with four-star offensive tackle Mataio Fano, who just got a crystal ball to Michigan.
Michigan is also the established leader in the recruitment of Major Stokes, an EDGE ranked 33rd overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings from Utah. Asa Burch, another blue-chip EDGE from Ohio, is a Michigan legacy.
The Wolverines are hoping to land five-star wideout Deandre Bidden, too. But if the Wolverines can land all those players in the trenches, that will be a home run on the recruiting trail.
Add us as a preferred source on Google