The calendar has flipped to March, which means the recruiting dead period is officially over! Recruits all across the country have set visits to their respective top schools, and the Michigan Wolverines are expecting a ton of their top targets to visit Ann Arbor in the next couple months. That includes one of the top players at their respective position that is currently committed to one of the elite schools in the SEC…
Five-star SEC commit wants to officially visit Michigan
One of the best cornerbacks in the 2027 cycle is five-star Donte Wright. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder from Long Beach, California has been committed to Georgia since last June, but that hasn’t stopped other programs from trying to flip him.
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Michigan is among the schools working hard on the No. 30 overall recruit in the country, per 247Sports’ composite. In a recent interview with On3’s Ethan McDowell ($), Wright spoke about his interest in the Wolverines and his desire to see Ann Arbor soon.
“They’ve reached out a tad bit,” Wright said. “I feel like they’re still trying to get their staff together, so I should hear from them more a little later, but soon. They’ve reached out, said their hellos a little bit, but that’s about it.
“I’m trying to plan an OV with them, for sure.”
The new coaching staff visited him at his high school in January, and it sounds like they were able to convince him that he wouldn’t have any problems seeing the field as a true freshman.
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“I feel like they’re building something over there, and that’s somewhere I feel like I could play very early at,” Wright said. “They like trying to play freshmen early.”
Wright hopes to make a final decision and shut down his recruitment in July after he takes his official visits. Oregon, USC, Oklahoma, UCLA and others are also trying to flip him, per McDowell.
Five-star DL schedules two visits to Michigan
At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou is one of the freakiest players in the 2027 class. Naturally, every blue blood program is going hard after him, but one of the constants in his recruitment has been the Michigan Wolverines.
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As first reported by The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($), Fakatou has locked in two visits to Ann Arbor — April 11-12 for an unofficial visit, and then June 15-17 for his official visit. He will also take official visits to Ohio State (weekend of May 29), Texas (June 5) and Oregon (June 12).
Interestingly enough, June 15-17 is a Monday-Wednesday, so it’s very likely he will be one of, if not the only recruit on campus for an official at that time. And that could end up being a good thing, as Rivals’ Adam Gorney ($) reported the Wolverines have taken the lead for him.
“I’m just very confident with it,” Fakatou told Gorney. “The relationship I built over there with the new d-line coach (Larry Black) and coach (Lewis) Powell, they’ve just done a good job recruiting me. I feel really confident with them.
“Get around them more and just I’m confident with those coaches and definitely a school I want to go to twice and not rethink whether I should or not.”
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Notre Dame is the other school to watch, but it sounds like the Irish have been bumped down a bit following the departure of defensive line coach Al Washington.
Four-star CB locks in OV to Michigan
According to 247Sports’ Blair Angulo ($), 2027 four-star cornerback Darius Johnson has locked in his official visit to Michigan for the weekend of June 19. It is the only official visit scheduled thus far for the 6-foot-1, 160-pounder from California.
Johnson received his offer from Michigan back in January from new corners coach Jernaro Gilford, and the Wolverines have been standing out to him ever since.
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“What stands out is how much they win and they are known for winning and putting many DBs out,” Johnson said. “It’s just a great program overall. I have a great relationship with all the staff as I have been familiar since they were over in Utah.
“Coach Jernaro Gilford offered me my first offer freshman year when he was at BYU, so he was the first coach to really see the potential in me and we have had a great relationship since.”
Gilford isn’t the only assistant coach standing out to him, as defensive coordinator Jay Hill has also been playing a big role in his recruitment dating back to when he was at BYU.
“They have always seen the potential in me since my freshmen year when they coached at BYU and I picked up my first offer,” Johnson recently told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong ($). “I feel like it could be a great fit for me both on and off the field, and I really respect the vision they have for my development.”
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Johnson is also expected to take an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor on March 28 to take in a spring practice. Other schools to watch for in this recruitment include Oregon, Cal, Oklahoma, UCLA and USC, among others.
Quick Hitters
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According to TMI’s Marich ($), 2027 four-star running back Jayshon Gibson has two visits scheduled to Michigan: April 10-12, and June 5-7 (official visit).
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On3’s McDowell ($) reported that 2027 in-state athlete Bryce Kish is set to officially visit Michigan from June 12-14. He doesn’t hold a composite ranking yet, but the Howell native is the No. 60 overall prospect on On3’s rankings.
