Wolverine Digest

Michigan football trending toward '27 prospect after Florida's firing of Billy Napier

The Wolverines would love to have him in the class.
Trent Knoop|
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When a coach gets fired, there is typically a domino effect that follows. Penn State firing James Franklin was the first major firing in college football this season -- there were others before him, such as Brent Pry and Mike Gundy -- but following Franklin's firing, Florida made the next big move by firing Billy Napier.

When the Gators let Napier go, one of UF's top prospects, RB Tranard Roberts, decided he was going to look elsewhere.

Roberts was in Ann Arbor last weekend when Michigan hosted Washington. Florida was favored to land him, but with Napier's firing, Roberts named a new top five with the Wolverines in it. Michigan will compete with Ohio State, Auburn, Miami, and Tennessee.

In a recent article by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, he told Fawcett that Michigan is leading the charge. Roberts talked about how electric the atmosphere was in Ann Arbor last weekend and how much he likes RB coach Tony Alford. Roberts gave credit to Michigan for how the Wolverines' running backs finish their runs.

While Alford is doing a great job in Ann Arbor, his name has been floated around as a possibility to go coach his alma mater, Colorado State after the Rams fired Jay Norvell. So that would be an interesting domino to watch with Michigan's running back recruiting.

Who is Tranard Roberts?

Roberts is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound back out of The Villages (FL). He is a 2027 prospect and is a four-star recruit. He is listed as the No. 208 recruit in the '27 cycle and the No. 16 RB, per the Composite. Roberts holds offers from programs like Florida State, Washington, and Colorado, on top of his final five list.

In 2024, Roberts ran for 300 yards and four TDs, on 42 carries as a sophomore in high school.

But Roberts isn't the only RB Michigan is in on. Following Franklin's firing at Penn State, the top-rated RB in 2027, Kemon Spell, put Michigan in contention and scheduled an official visit to Ann Arbor.

It goes back to coach Alford and Michigan's ability to recruit the RB position. With how well the Wolverines run the football, top-rated players want to play in that system. Michigan should be able to land a couple of solid runners next cycle.

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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