Michigan defender commits to rival Big Ten foe

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It wasn't easy for former Michigan Edge defender Breeon Ishmail to find the field as a Wolverine. The former three-star recruit out of Cincinnati (OH) came to the maize and blue as the 1,110th-ranked recruit in the 2023 cycle. Ishmail was mainly a special teams player while seeing the field a few snaps on defense.

But after two seasons, he opted to enter the portal to find a place where he could have a more prominent role. On Monday, 247Sports' Chris Hummer reported that Ishmail was staying in the Big Ten Conference and heading to Purdue.

Ishmail didn't see the field at all during his freshman season. But this year, he played in seven games and saw special teams action. He played in a total of 72 snaps throughout the 2024 campaign.

The Boilermakers fired Ryan Walters as their head coach and hired UNLV's Barry Odom to take over. Ishmail will get a fresh start with Odom taking over the controls at Purdue.

Michigan is likely getting both Derrick Moore and TJ Guy back next season to start at the Edge position. The Wolverines have been very deep there the last several years and that shouldn't change in 2025.

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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