Wolverine Digest

Michigan football LB target sets decision date

Can the Wolverines haul in the linebacker against schools from the south?
Seth Berry|
Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates a play against Michigan State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates 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

Michigan football class of 2026 target DQ Forkpa has set his decision date for July 12, where he will be deciding between the Wolverines, Florida, Miami (FL) and Florida State.

Forkpa is a four-star who hails from Hoschton, GA. and now plays high school football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Ahead of his decision, Forkpa sat down with Rivals' Josh Newberg to discuss his recruiting process and why the aforementioned schools made his top four.

When touching on Michigan, Forkpa described the Wolverines' plan for life after football for their recruits, which is something that stood out for the linebacker.

"They have a very strong alumni base and stuff after football, because some day after football, you’re not gonna have it, so you have to fall back on something. Michigan, they do a really good job telling you what they offer you after football," said Forkpa.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, which is a weighted average across the four major recruiting companies, Forkpa ranks as the No. 25 linebacker in the nation in the class of 2026, with 50th-best prospect in Florida and the No. 346 ranked recruit nationally.

One of the challenges for the Wolverines in this recruitment is the competition against schools who are much closer to home for Forkpa.

Florida is the favorite to land the linebacker, as Gators Online insider Corey Bender logged an official prediction for the Gators to land Forkpa.

Forkpa has taken official visits to all of the schools in his top four, including one to Ann Arbor on June 13.

Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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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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