Michigan just pulled off something pretty amazing in the 2025 recruiting game. They snagged a big commitment from Denton (Texas) Ryan’s four-star offensive tackle, Ty Haywood, on Thursday.
So, here’s the scoop: Haywood was initially all set to join Alabama. But in January, he decided to reconsider, which gave Michigan a shot. Even before that, Michigan had been working hard to get his attention. Once it became clear he wasn’t signing with anyone during the December period, the buzz around him heading to the Wolverines got louder.
After a visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan’s head coach, Sherrone Moore, managed to bring Haywood on board. This move added the nation’s No. 48 recruit and No. 8 offensive tackle to an already impressive 2025 class. Thanks to Haywood’s commitment, Michigan’s class jumped three spots to rank No. 6 in the country, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
And he’s not the only big name in this class. There’s Belleville (Mich.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Bryce Underwood, the top overall prospect in the nation, along with Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest five-star OT Andrew Babalola, who’s ranked No. 16. Together, they’re making Michigan’s lineup look pretty formidable.
Michigan Flourished at the End of the Recruiting Cycle
Michigan wrapped up the year with a bang by flipping Underwood from LSU on November 21. That was a game-changer for them.
“He’s as good as any high school quarterback I’ve seen play football,” said Sherrone Moore about Underwood.
Underwood’s stats back that up—he threw for 2,321 yards and 30 touchdowns, with only five interceptions, completing over 71% of his passes in 2024.
But that’s not all. Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick’s four-star defensive lineman Nate Marshall switched back to Michigan from Auburn on December 3. And Monroe (N.C.) four-star safety Jordan Young, a top-100 player, originally committed to Clemson but flipped to Michigan on December 1. Then there was IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, who pledged on December 4.
Babalola’s commitment at the end of October also got things moving. Between his and Underwood’s commitments, Michigan flipped Chester (Va.) Thomas Earls’ four-star cornerback Shamari Earls from Georgia and secured Underwood’s high school teammate, four-star CB Elijah Dotson.
The secondary is looking strong, too. Besides Earls, Dotson, and Young, there’s Montgomery Village (Md.) Gonzaga’s four-star safety Kainoa Winston, a top-50 recruit. And Kilgore (Texas) four-star CB Jayden Sanders is also signed and among the top 25 players at his position.
Other standout recruits include Fulshear (Texas) Katy Jordan’s four-star wide receiver Andrew Marsh, New Orleans Archbishop Shaw’s four-star WR Jacob Washington, Franklin (Mich.) Wylie E. Groves’ four-star interior offensive lineman Avery Gach, Newburgh (Ind.) Castle’s four-star DL Benny Patterson, and Marrero (La.) Archbishop Shaw’s four-star running back Jasper Parker.
This class is shaping up to be a powerhouse. Who knows what these young talents will achieve in the coming years? Exciting times ahead for Michigan fans!
