Wolverine Digest

Michigan football gets big boost in recruitment of one of nation's best offensive lineman

One of the best offensive lineman in the class of 2027 visited Ann Arbor for The Game
Seth Berry|
Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome, left, warm up next to offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (58) ahead of the New Mexico game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome, left, warm up next to offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (58) ahead of the New Mexico game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Michigan Wolverines

Michigan football hosted a number of prospects for its game against Ohio State late last month, including 2027 offensive lineman Elijah Hutcheson, a four-star prospect from Virginia.

Hutcheson, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds, is one of the top offensive tackles in his class, ranking as the ninth-best prospect at his position, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

Hutcheson's impression of Michigan

The Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School product spoke with Rivals' Chad Simmons about his trip to Ann Arbor.

While Michigan entered the picture in Hutcheson's recruitment this past summer when he attended a UA camp in Baltimore this past summer, his interest in the Wolverines runs deeper than his recruiting connection with Michigan, Simmons reported.

"I’ve been hearing about Michigan my entire life,” Hutcheson told Rivals. “My grandma has been a diehard fan her whole life, so it was kind of instilled in me growing up.”

His debut visit to Ann Arbor exceeded all expectations.

"After getting there, the coaches and the community fully surpassed all expectations, if I’m being entirely honest," Hutcheson told Rivals. "The impression was that they are truly trying to make you the best version of you, and not anybody else on the field or off the field.”

Grant Newsome
Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome looks on after a play against Michigan State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hutcheson added that the visit solidified the Wolverines as a contender movinf forward in his recruitment.

"The visit was phenomenal and gave them a giant boost in where they stand. Definitely a school I am considering," he told Rivals.

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Seth Berry
SETH BERRY

Seth began writing on Michigan athletics in 2015 and has remained in the U-M media space ever since, which includes stops at Maize N Brew and Rivals before coming onto Michigan On SI in June of 2025. Seth has covered various angles of Michigan football and basketball, including recruiting, overall team coverage and feature/analysis stories relating to the Wolverines. His passion for Michigan sports and desire to tell stories led him to the sports journalism world. He is a 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and is the former sports editor of the Western Herald, WMU's student newspaper.

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