Kyle Whittingham has proven plenty over the years as the Utah Utes head coach. But after taking over the Michigan football program, there are still lingering questions.
Will Kyle Whittingham win a national title? Will he embrace NIL? Can he recruit at a truly elite level? So far, outside of the national title question, it feels like the answer is yes to those questions.
Whittingham did a stellar job of retaining the most talented players left on the Michigan football roster and also attracting some talented players from the transfer portal.
The recruiting trail, the 2027 recruiting class specifically, is another area of focus. It's still very early, and Michigan football suffered a decommitment from a four-star QB, but there are reasons to feel good about the recruiting abilities of the new staff.
Michigan football has emerged as the frontrunner for Marcus Fakatou
Four-star defensive line recruit Marcus Fakatou is one of the top defensive line recruits in the 2027 class. ESPN ranks him as a five-star. The 6-foot-7, 295-pounder out of California has scheduled two visits to Ann Arbor, one in the spring, and another in the summer.
It has gotten to the point that Adam Gorney of Rivals called Michigan the new "frontrunner" for the elite defensive line prospect who is ranked 28th overall, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Notre Dame was the heavy favorite before Michigan's recent staff changes. Jay Hill and Lewis Powell had ties to Fakatou when they were at BYU and Utah. Now, that they are at Michigan, it has opened the door for the Wolverines to grab the lead in this recruitment.
It doesn't mean that a commitment is a slam dunk, but the Wolverines have put themselves in a great position to land an elite prospect up front.