Fresh off of self imposed recruiting restrictions in which the Michigan football staff couldn't make any contact with recruits, Michigan football landed elite tight end Matt Ludwig. Ludwig is a freak athlete whose recruiting ranking is harmed by playing football in Montana, much like Colston Loveland in Idaho. Make no mistake, this kid has the tools to be a very special player.
But this commitment goes beyond Ludwig. For a few weeks, Michigan was dead in the water with recruiting. While the Wolverines were unable to contact recruits, rivals were improving their classes. For Michigan to immediately, after being able to contact recruits again, instantly secure a highly-contested recruitment of one of their top prospects is a tremendous sign.
Ludwig was originally set to take official visits to his finalists before announcing a commitment. His other finalists were Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. For Michigan to get Ludwig to scrap those visits and commit is a tremendous sign of where things could be heading on the recruiting trail.
Michigan football is badly in need of momentum. The Wolverines have just six commits and are currently ranked 41st in the country. Winning a highly contested battle before official visit season kicks into gear is huge. It also shows that Sherrone Moore and co are being more aggressive, and perhaps are getting into NIL details, which has been a big holdup.
Ludwig's commitment could not have come at a better time. He gives the Wolverines an elite player on the offensive side of the ball, and he should be a fantastic recruiter for many of Michigan's top remaining targets, such as running back Savion Hiter, or offensive linemen like Malakai Lee and Felix Ojo.
Summer official visits are going to be where Michigan's 2026 class is made. Ludwig's commitment shows that the Wolverines are going to be aggressive and do what they need to do to earn the commitment of top players. These next few months are going to be very interesting to watch unfold.