Michigan defensive coach shooting up the rankings of elite Big Ten recruiters

By all accounts, Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito is a passionate man, passionate about his family and the game of football. He melds those two passions together in his recruiting approach, and it has begun to yield results. Michigan has secured the commitments of three four-star defensive linemen in the past couple of weeks, all spearheaded by Esposito. Families have raved about his ability to build strong relationships and convince them that he cares about more than just football. he is there to make young men into leaders of the future, on and off the field.

Convincing parents to send their kid to you, to mold and care for, often hundreds or even thousands of miles away, is no easy task. The easiest way to win over those parents is to be genuine and lay out a clear path that leads to success in the classroom, community, and field, in that order. Esposito has been a master at that, and his winning recruiting style has him rising through the ranks amongst the best in the Big Ten.

Don’t look now, but #Michigan DL coach @UMichCoachEspo has risen up and ranks as the No. 6 overall recruiter in the Big Ten this cycle, according to @247Sports.

He’s helped land commitments from @TariqBoney, @AlisterVallejo, @McHaleBlade and @TitanDavis97. pic.twitter.com/eHXjeqy3Db
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) June 24, 2025

Esposito rose 13 spots from 19th in the league to 6th overall. A remarkable rise that corresponded to him landing those three elite linemen. He has a couple more on the hook, and if he closes it out with them (Carter Meadows and Julian Walker), he could easily find himself as a top-three recruit in the Big Ten. Genuineness, passion, and caring are Esposito's ways of recruiting in an NIL-driven era, and they appear to be working for him.