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Michigan Football: New potential 2026 quarterback target emerges for Wolverines

A new name to watch in the 2026 recruiting class...
Matt Lounsberry|
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Michigan has its quarterback of the future (and maybe the present) in five-star Bryce Underwood, however, landing the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2025 left the Wolverines' without a committed QB in the 2026 cycle.

After former U-M commit Brady Hart decommitted from the Wolverines, reclassified to the 2025 class, and flipped to Texas A&M, Michigan has been in search for a new signal-caller in the '26 class.

One potential option is Mason Holtzclaw, a native of Arden, N.C. who recently transferred to Carrolton (Ga.) High School after reclassifying from the 2027 recruiting class to the 2026 class. Holtzclaw visited Michigan during the summer of 2024 and came away impressed. He also received a scholarship offer from new U-M offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, while Lindsey was still the OC at North Carolina.

“We got to watch their first summer practice of the year being on the sideline interacting with all of the coaches, which was awesome,” Holtzclaw told Michigan Wolverines On SI following his unofficial visit to Ann Arbor last June. “We toured all of campus and the football facilities, which was one of the nicest I’ve seen. Also, they took us by the Big House. That was amazing, getting to be on the field and seeing how big the stadium is.”

Holtzclaw is not currently ranked by any of the national recruiting services, but should draw more attention after reclassifying to the 2026 class. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder has drawn scholarship offers from 16 schools, per 247Sports, including South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Kentucky and Georgia Tech, among others. Holtzclaw does not currently hold an offer from Michigan.

The Wolverines are actively searching for a replacement for Hart in the 2026 class, battling for five-star Folsom (Ca.) quarterback Ryder Lyons and high four-star Newbury Park (Ca.) signal-caller Brady Smigiel in the current cycle. Pending how Michigan's pursuit of those two targets plays out, Holtzclaw is another name to watch for the Maize and Blue in the upcoming recruiting cycle.

Quarterback Mason Holtzclaw emerges as potential target for Michigan Football in 2026 recruiting class
Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey served in the same role at North Carolina, and was the head coach at Troy, prior to joining the Wolverines' staff for the 2025 season. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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