Michigan football has been trending up in the recruitment of five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell, and according to one expert, the Wolverines will end up landing Russell's commitment on Friday.
The four-star wide receiver, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings for the 2026 class (No. 47) overall, is ranked as a five-star recruit by 247 Sports and the On3 Industry rankings. He's 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, and will decide between Michigan football, Syracuse, Oregon, and Florida State.
The one name that seems out of the place in that group of teams is Syracuse. Yet, Fran Brown and the Orange have done a stellar job. Syracuse has also offered Russell the chance to play basketball, and is reportedly prepared to use some of its basketball money to land him.
Michigan football projected to get a five-star recruit
Yet, the Wolverines need a playmaker like Russell. They have the five-star quarterback in Bryce Underwood. Now, they just need a game-changing receiver. Russell would be that.
As it stands, Michigan football is the favorite, according to On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine; the Wolverines have a 71.3 percent chance of getting Russell's pledge. That number went up after Miami On3 reporter Stephen Wagner put in a projection for Michigan.
That's good news for the Wolverines but I would still be cautiously optimistic. Wagner just projected Russell to LSU not long ago, and the Tigers didn't even make the top four, so it's hard to know if Wagner truly has a feel for this recruitment.
Adam Gorney and Steve Wilftong, now both of Rivals, also made opposite predictions for the five-star wideout. Gorney predicted he would end up with Michigan; Wiltfong still likes Syracuse. It seems as though Russell hasn't made a decision yet, and might not until tonight or Friday.
So even though Michigan is trending in the right direction, it's too early to count any chickens before they hatch.