No. 1 TE Recruit in Michigan Announces Top 5 College Football Programs

These five college football programs are the top contenders to land the 2027 No. 1 tight end recruit from Michigan.

Detroit Country Day's Anthony Cartwright rushes during a football game on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Joseph P. Healey Field. | Brandon Folsom/Hometown Life / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2027 college football recruiting cycle is intensifying as April turns to May in the 2026 offseason.

Many prospects in the class have either announced commitments to college football programs or are scheduling dates for their official decisions. Another large portion of prospects are still weighing options by trimming their lists of schools and scheduling official visits to the most appealing schools over the summer.

One of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle is four-star tight end Anthony Cartwright III. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder from Detroit, Michigan, ranks as the No. 16 tight end (No. 1 in Michigan), No. 8 prospect in Michigan and No. 331 overall prospect in the class of 2027, per Rivals.

Cartwright III plays for Detroit Country Day School, which finished the 2025 regular season 4-5 overall. He is a tri-sport athlete; Cartwright III plays for the football, basketball and baseball teams at Detroit Country Day.

While Cartwright III still has not announced a commitment, he made an important step toward it on Thursday. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that Cartwright III officially winnowed his list of options down to five schools.

LSU

LSU Tigers tight end Trey'Dez Green (14) runs the ball during the second half against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Tigers are the lone SEC program vying for Cartwright III's commitment. He picked up his offer from LSU in June of 2025, and he visited the Tigers on April 19.

LSU added a pair of transfers in Malachi Thomas (Pittsburgh) and Zach Grace (Oregon) and four-star freshman JC Anderson to their 2026 roster at tight end. The Tigers are also trending heavily to land five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson, a Louisiana native and the top-rated tight end in the cycle.

Oregon

The Ducks are among a trio of Big Ten programs in pursuit of Cartwright III. Oregon offered Cartwright III his scholarship in January of 2025, and he has already made two visits to Eugene. He will officially visit the Ducks on June 19.

Oregon produced the first tight end off the board in the 2026 NFL draft in Kenyon Sadiq. The Ducks have landed a pair of four-star tight ends in each of the last two recruiting cycles, one of which was a top-five tight end in the 2026 class in Kendre Harrison.

Miami

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) runs with the ball behind tight end Elija Lofton (9) | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Hurricanes are the lone ACC program working to persuade Cartwright III to join their 2027 signing class. He unofficially visited Miami in June of 2025 and will officially visit on June 5.

Miami returns Elija Lofton for the 2026 season, its leading tight end from the College Football Playoff run in 2025. Four-star freshmen Gavin Mueller and Israel Briggs are the Hurricanes' tight end additions to their 2026 roster.

Michigan

The Wolverines are the school that appears to be in the lead for Cartwright III. He has unofficially visited Michigan no less than 14 times in his recruitment, and he will officially visit the Wolverines on June 12.

Michigan produced a first-round NFL draft talent at tight end in Colston Loveland a year ago. Cartwright III would be the first four-star tight end prospect the Wolverines have landed since their addition of Brady Prieskorn in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Michigan State

Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses the team at the end of the football Spring Showcase | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The other Big Ten school in the state of Michigan is also in contention to land Cartwright III's commitment. He has taken no less than five visits to Michigan State throughout his recruitment, maintaining a relationship with the program despite it undergoing two coaching changes over the past three years.

Michigan State has not signed a four-star tight end prospect since it signed Trent Gillison in the 2018 recruiting cycle. 2026 additions at tight end include three-star freshmen Eddie Whiting and Joey Caudill and Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker.