Michigan Football Loses Out on In-State Linebacker to ACC School

As the 60th-ranked prospect and No. 5 linebacker in the nation (according to the Rivals rankings), linebacker Bryce Kish has been well on Michigan's radar as the Wolverines work to compile their class of 2027—which will be the first full class under new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff.

However, this past Sunday, despite going to school at Howell, which is just over 20 miles from Ann Arbor, Kish committed to Dabo Swinney and Clemson over the Wolverines, Minnesota, and Michigan State.

BREAKING: Four-Star LB Bryce Kish has Committed to Clemson, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’2 220 LB from Howell, MI chose the Tigers over Michigan State, Minnesota, and Michigan

He’s ranked as the No. 5 LB in the 2027 Rivals300https://t.co/9YDcrC2eDr pic.twitter.com/JDVDSLoYbt
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 9, 2026

Kish was slated to take two visits to Michigan this year, according to The Wolverine's Ethan McDowell. Whether those will still happen in light of his commitment to the Tigers is unclear, but if the Wolverines are going to continue to push in this recruitment, a commitment would have to come in the form of a flip.

What losing out on Kish means for Michigan

In the world of college football recruiting in 2026, it's common for programs to continue to pursue players who are committed, especially in the case of Kish where he is an in-state prospect and how much easier that makes getting Kish on campus if he wants to come to Ann Arbor for visits.

Bryce Kish runs for Howell's third touchdown against Salem on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. | Bill Khan/Livingston Daily / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, in the case Kish holds his commitment with Clemson, linebackers coach Alex Whittingham and the defensive staff have other targets on the board they are pursuing.

Recently, it was reported that linebacker Brayden Watson from high school football powerhouse Buford in Georgia has locked in an official visit with Michigan on June 19.

Michigan is also eyeing four-star linebacker Brandon Lockley, who is a top-10 linebacker in Pennsylvania, for its 2027 class, along with Loganville (GA.) LB Eli Harris, who has locked in an unofficial visit with the Wolverines on April 2.

There are other prospects on the board the Wolverines are pursuing as well. The spring and summer, which is always known to be a time of year with a high volume of visits for recruits visiting various campuses across the country, should start to give a clear picture as to which prospects the Wolverines will really start to hone in on with each position group.

Michigan's 2027 class

The Wolverines currently have three players committed to their 2027 class, including offensive linemen Tristan Dare and Louis Esposito, along with EDGE Recarder Kitchen.

Michigan's class ranks 20th in college football to this point, according to Rivals.