Kyle Whittingham's first recruiting class as the Michigan football head coach was solid. It is a top-15 class that has 15 blue-chip commitments.
Many of those blue-chip commitments are at some of the most important positions: QB, WR, CB, DB, OL, DL, and EDGE.
Those are some of the most important spots on the field in terms of winning games. So Whittingham's first class really leaves nothing to complain about.
The one issue is that the Wolverines missed on their five-star targets, mainly wide receiver Dakota Guerrant from Harper Woods.
Guerrant committed to Oregon. Michigan football was in the mix, but Guerrant doesn't buy that the offense will be as wide open as suggested. That could leave the door open for a flip if the passing attack takes off with Bryce Underwood this season, directed by OC Jason Beck.
Even if that flip doesn't happen, Michigan just can't make the same mistake with DeAndre Bidden, one of three five-star recruits in the state of Michigan in the 2028 class. According to Brice Marich of The Michigan Insider, in an interview with MLive, suggested that the Wolverines are in a better spot.
"Michigan I think was initially the leader there, but he’s seen some up and downs from the offense to the new coaching staff to even who is position coaches at Michigan. They’ve done a good job kind of regaining some momentum back there and kind of stabilizing their position in his recruitment," Marich said.
Bidden, also out of Harper Woods, is ranked 22nd overall in the 2028 class, via the 247 Sports composite rankings. Another top target, five-star Antijuan Wilkes, out of Cass Tech, is ranked 28th overall. Marich referred to him as a "physical freak."
One thing working in Michigan's favor is offensive line coach Jim Harding, who had two offensive tackles drafted in the first round this past April. Wilkes, who said he wants to win the Heisman Trophy, has visited Michigan four times. The Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Wolverines a 32 percent chance to win his commitment.
The Cass Tech prospect could be one of the best offensive tackles in Michigan high school history. That should be a no-brainer for the Wolverines. Bidden, is another story. Oregon is a major factor, and like Guerrant, Bidden will need to be persuaded that the offense is receiver-friendly.
Big seasons from Andrew Marsh and J.J. Buchanan would surely help. The Rivals Prediction Machine Favors Michigan (51 percent), thanks in part to 10 visits to Ann Arbor already.
Donald Tabor is another five-star, but Texas A&M is the leader there. That will be a "tough pull," Marich said.
Still, if the Wolverines can land Wilkes and Bidden, that would be massive. With some elite players in Utah in 2028, too, such as four-star offensive tackle Mataio Fano. His older brother just went in the first round. The offensive tackle has been a top priority, along with Major Stokes, who is from Orem, Utah, just like Fano.
A golden opportunity for Kyle Whittingham
Michigan football feels like it has the inside track to land all four. These are in-state targets or targets that used to be in-state targets for Whittingham, who landed the No. 1 QB in the 2027 class, according to ESPN, by getting Kamden Lopati out of Utah. The pull is real.
When you consider Michigan is also leading for Ohio four-star EDGE Asa Burch, it feels like the Wolverines have a chance to build something special in 2028.
Whittingham made the best of a bad situation in the 2027 class. In 2028, Michigan could sign multiple five-stars. It could easily have a top-10 class, one that could set the stage for the Wolverines head coach to do what he came to Ann Arbor to do.
It's a golden opportunity. Michigan has to take advantage of it.
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