Michigan Recruiting: Wolverines' Plan Following Sidney Rouleau Decommitment

Michigan's 2027 recruiting class hit a snag on Tuesday night when offensive lineman Sidney Rouleau decommitted from the Wolverines. Rouleau was the Wolverines' second offensive line commitment in the class under Jim Harding and he committed to Michigan over both Clemson and Tennessee.

However, Rouleau visited Syracuse this past weekend and really enjoyed his visit. Rumblings of his decommitment began happening shortly after, and it became official on Tuesday. Without Rouleau in the class, Michigan now has three offensive linemen in the fold, but the Wolverines are quickly moving to replace him.

Michigan has two targets

According to Ethan McDowell from 'The Wolverines', the Wolverines are moving in on former NC State commit Conner Rutherford and Stanford commit Braden Chaffin.

Rutherford decommitted from NC State following the Wolfpack firing long-time head coach Dave Doeren. He is a 6'6", 300-pound offensive lineman from Chillicothe (OH). According to 247Sports Composite, Rutherford is the No. 709 player in the 2027 class, along with being the 63rd-ranked offensive tackle.

Don't let Rutherford's three-star ranking fool you, he has a great offer sheet. The Ohio product has offers from programs like Indiana, Miami, Minnesota, North Carolina, and West Virginia, among others.

Rutherford has a wrestling background and Rivals' Allen Trieu says you can see that in his game. He is suited for right tackle, but could bump inside to guard at some point. Rutherford is very good at run blocking, but will need to fine-tune his pass protection skills at the next level.

After a great conversation with @coachjharding I am blessed and honored to have earned my 29th division 1 offer from University of Michigan!!!!

We work! @DJRSwework pic.twitter.com/4uOIQSXwAo
— Conner Rutherford (@ConnerRuth79) October 29, 2026

As for Chaffin, he has been committed to Stanford since June 1. He is a 6'6", 290-pound offensive lineman and he is currently playing for Adlai Stevenson from Sterling Heights (MI). Rivals' Industrial Rankings has him the highest at No. 1542 in the 2027 class. Chaffin is considered the No. 109 offensive tackle in the class.

Chaffin's offer sheet isn't as loaded as Rutherford's, but he has offers from Louisville, Minnesota, UCLA, and Northwestern, among several MAC programs.

Michigan can build off offensive line recruiting

Despite Rouleau leaving Michigan's recruiting class, the Wolverines still have the No. 11 ranked class in the nation with 21 commitments. The Wolverines have three offensive linemen who can become the backbone of the team in a few years.

Offensive tackle Jakari Lipsey is one of Michigan's top commitments in the class. Interior linemen Lincoln Mageo and Louis Esposito can become starters down the line for the Wolverines as well.

Adding either Rutherford or Chaffin — with both being possible — will give Jim Harding something to work with once they get into the weight room and the Wolverines get them where they want them.

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