Michigan named 'factor' in recruitment of 5-star WR on Signing Day

Miami (FL) Northwestern five-star WR Calvin Russell made a shocking statement on Wednesday when he announced at his signing event that he wouldn't be signing on Early Signing Day with Syracuse.

The 6-foot-5 playmaker picked the Orange over Michigan on July 5. That was another shocker. The Wolverines appeared to be a lock to land Russell and intel suggests that Syracuse made a great offer that day that changed Russell's mind.

According to Pete Nakoks, both Michigan and Miami are contenders to land the five-star talent. As mentioned before, Michigan was seen as the favorite back in July to land him, while the home-state Hurricanes have been a player in his recruitment for quite some time.

Syracuse four-star WR commit Calvin Russell is expected to sign on Friday, source tells @On3sports.

Michigan and Miami are other factors. https://t.co/ncHlQqjAWX https://t.co/9d8XcPMtLZ
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) December 3, 2025

The 6-foot-5, 195 pound WR is ranked as the No. 23 player in the nation and second-best WR per 247Sports. In the Composite, Russell is a four-star prospect and the nation's 70th-best prospect and No. 9 WR.

Is the need for Russell real?

Despite Russell appearing to have some commitment issues, anytime you can secure a five-star talent would be nice. Michigan lacked serious playmakers for Bryce Underwood and pairing Andrew Marsh up with talented players is something the Wolverines need to do.

Plus, there are troubling reports out regarding two of Michigan's WR commits. Three-star WR Jaylen Pile signed, but neither four-star Zion Robinson nor Travis Johnson have, yet.

Both players are getting recruited by other programs and at this point, we don't know if Michigan will land both, one of them, or neither. Michigan could be talking to Russell, knowing the Wolverines will be losing someone from their 2026 class.

Here is 247Sports' scouting report on Russell

-Lengthy pass catcher with above-the-rim athleticism that’s a uniquely dangerous target, especially down in the red zone.

-Makes dynamic movements look easy as he can mix gears while getting vertical and has proven to be rather evasive after the catch for someone with such long limbs.

-Decorated hoops background constantly shows up in pads with his jump timing and body control.

-Appeard to flip a switch as a senior and played a much more physical brand of football as he routinely made difficult grabs in traffic and worked for teammates as a mover blocker.

-Spent part of prep career playing quarterback out of necessity, which signals that he’s likely to make major developmental strides once in the right environment.

-Must add some weight to a slender 6-foot-5 frame and keep maturing as a route runner, but is the type of player that coaches are going to want on the field sooner rather than later with his size and ball skills.

-Should be viewed as one of those best-at-everything athletes with some of the best elite physical attributes in the class that could become an absolute cheat code for a College Football Playoff hopeful if it all comes together.

— Sign up for the Michigan Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Michigan Wolverines on SI —