Wolverine Digest

5-star recruit seemingly drops Michigan football from contention; announces official visits

Michigan will have to make a remarkable comeback to land him.
Trent Knoop|
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ESPN 5-star edge prospect Jake Kreul had Michigan football in his top 12 not too long ago, and took an unofficial to Ann Arbor to see the campus. By all accounts, the visit went well, but not well enough for the Wolverines to secure an official visit from the elite edge rusher.

Kreul announced he would take his five OV's to Colorado, Ohio State, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. That would seemingly eliminate Michigan from the race -- barring some remarkable comeback from the Wolverines.

Kreul is the 31st-ranked player in the 2026 cycle and the fourth-best edge rusher, per the Composite. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound rusher plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton (FL). The Wolverines will have to keep looking to find a couple of edge rushers for the '26 class.

One of them could be five-star Carter Meadows who has been to campus to see Michigan. Meadows is the 70th-best player in the class and he has set an OV to Ann Arbor for June 20. Almost every team is after the Washington (DC) prospect, but Michigan will have to battle with Penn State, Ohio State, and South Carolina, among others.

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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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