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Michigan Football misses out on No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class

The top ranked offensive lineman has released a commitment date, and an updated top four list that no longer includes the Michigan Wolverines
Jerred Johnson|
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top-rated player in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Jackson Cantwell, has removed the Michigan Wolverines from contention in his recruitment. Cantwell has set a commitment date of April 30th and also released an updated "top" schools list. That list includes Miami, Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State.

The Wolverines were seen as legitimate contenders in this recruiting battle until this recent list came out. They were in the top 5 list, and some analysts had them favored at points during Cantwell's recruitment. While flips can happen, even with the number one rated recruit, it sure looks like Michigan is going to be left on the outside looking in on this one.

Cantwell dropping the Wolverines from contention is certainly a blow to the 2026 recruiting class. Overall, the class has been slow to develop and the Wolverines trail many of their Big Ten rivals in team recruiting rankings. It has been reported that the Wolverines are going to be buyers in the next round of the transfer portal, and that may help overcome the slow developing 2026 recruiting cycle.

Early signing is still quite a few months away (December of 2025) and National Signing Day does not occur until February. The Wolverines definitely have some ground to make up, but the good news is that they also have time and resources to do it.

Moore
Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Report: Michigan football to be 'buyers' in the spring transfer portal

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Semaj Morgan shares one Michigan football WR is going to be a nightmare to defend in 2025

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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