The biggest recruiting weekend of the year just went down for the Michigan Wolverines last week, and like most years, it appears to have been a success. Michigan hosted a plethora of top targets, and strong reviews are starting to come in. Let’s catch up on it all in today’s Recruiting Roundup.
Elite 2027 CB breaks down Michigan’s momentum in recruitment
2027 four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert was originally committed to Indiana, but he decided to open his recruitment back up last month. Michigan is among the teams — along with Ohio State and Louisville — making a push for the coveted prospect, and momentum is building.
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“Honestly, once the new staff came in, it picked up tremendously,” Torbert told The Michigan Insider ($). “With the old staff, we were having conversations back and forth, but once the new staff came in, it gave off a vibe like this staff is different than the other staff. I was like, ‘I’m gonna take a look at it.’ Then once they offered me, I was like, it’s a no-brainer. I gotta go see it.”
Michigan cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford has received a lot of strong praise from recruits, but Torbert’s comments might be the strongest. Gilford is a big reason why Michigan has put itself in the picture.
“Coach Gilford is a great coach (and) a great developer,” he said. “Honestly, I feel like he’s probably one of the best developers in the country as a cornerback coach. He’s just showing that he can do it at every level. Even where he came from at BYU, he put guys in the league, and those guys were elite at what they do. Coach JG just got a good eye for football.”
Gilford and defensive coordinator Jay Hill have spent a lot of time lately pitching Torbert on their plan for him if he comes to Michigan, and they see him as a very versatile weapon.
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“One thing Coach Hill and Coach JG always tell me, since they started recruiting me, is that they’re never gonna limit me,” Torbert said. ” So that meant them telling me I’ll be doing kick return, play some corner, play some nickel, even play some safety if I’m needed there. Just being versatile.”
The Wolverines have done a good job becoming a top contender for Torbert, and he will make his college decision on July 1.
Three-star edge recaps Michigan visit
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham spent most of his career in Utah before coming to Ann Arbor, so it’s not been surprising to see him and the Wolverines go after some guys from Utah on the recruiting trail. One of them in the 2027 class is three-star edge rusher Jag Ioane.
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Ioane was on campus for Victors Weekend, and he feels good about where his relationships stand following the visit.
“It was great to get back out to Ann Arbor, I had a great time,” Ioane told Rivals’ Greg Biggins ($). “The coaches were awesome and the trip definitely confirmed their need and strong interest in me. I have a good relationship with a lot of the coaches that goes back to before they got to Michigan. I really appreciate coach (Jay) Hill, coach (Lewis) Powell and coach (Larry) Black for always hyping me up and showing belief in my game.”
Now, Ioane will be taking some time to talk things over with his family before he makes a decision.
“Right now I just want to take some time to process all of my visits,” he said. “I need to talk with my family, weigh everything out, pray on it and see where the best fit for me is moving forward. I don’t have an exact timeframe but it will for sure be sooner than later.”
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Some other schools to watch here are Utah, Boise State, BYU and Washington.
Elite 2028 edge gives stellar review of Michigan visit
Four-star edge rusher Major Stokes was one of many recruits in Ann Arbor this past weekend for Victors Weekend, but he was the only one from the 2028 class. He loved what he saw, as it seems like Michigan checks all his boxes.
“It was the same thing I loved,” Stokes told On3’s Ethan McDowell ($). “It was the family culture, everybody was tight knit and the coaches treated me like family. It was just everything I was looking for in a college, you know?”
This wasn’t the first time Stokes had visited, as he also came to Ann Arbor in April. Having two great experiences was important to him.
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“I feel like we just needed to get down there and make sure that it was what we thought it was the first time — which it was — and that was just a big thing for us, finding out the culture and stuff,” he said.
As Stokes goes through the recruiting process, he looks for four things in each school. Michigan covers them all.
“Four things I wanted in college were good culture, a great relationship with my coaches, development and then the last one was academics, which Michigan checks all of those,” Stokes said. “I have a great relationship with the coaches. I know Kyle Whittingham, and his culture at Utah was a big thing there and he’s definitely going to bring it over to Michigan.”
Michigan hasn’t earned a commitment yet, but Stokes did add that the Wolverines are in his top-five.
