It’s just about that time of year. No, I’m not taking about the holiday season or when my seasonal depression kicks in — I’m talking about #FlipSZN on the recruiting trail.
Unfortunately, today’s update doesn’t favor the Wolverines, as 2027 four-star defensive back Tavares Harrington has flipped his commitment from Michigan to Ole Miss. I can only imagine he saw the Wolverines’ defense give up nearly 300 passing yards to Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola and said, “Yeah, I’m good, fam.”
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Chicago, Illinois native committed to Michigan back in May, following a visit for Michigan’s spring game. However, he took a visit to Ole Miss — one of the original runner-ups in his recruitment — the weekend of Nov. 7.
Harrington was one of the early building blocks of Michigan’s 2027 class. He is ranked No. 151 overall, No. 9 at the safety position and No. 8 in Illinois on the Rivals Industry Rankings. He is a versatile prospect who was recruited to Michigan as a nickel/safety.
The timing of all this is not great for Michigan, with the early signing period getting underway very soon. The program is kind of in disarray right now, too, as the Wolverines are coming off a 15-6 loss to Michigan State, offensive coordinator Jason Beck was fired, the team is (as of this writing) getting its ass kicked by Oregon, and there is plenty of uncertainty about the direction of the program. Harrington’s decision comes during a stretch when commits across the country are re-evaluating their options, and Michigan’s current struggles on the field make it harder to hang on to every pledge.
Harrington’s departure leaves a hole in a secondary class that had been one of the strongest parts of Michigan’s 2027 haul. The Wolverines still hold commitments from four-star cornerbacks Blake Jenkins and Darius Johnson, as well as three-star legacy safety prospect Charles Woodson Jr. But losing a four-star recruit that the coaching staff prioritized from the very beginning of their time in Ann Arbor takes the class down a notch.
There is also a Mount Carmel angle to monitor. Harrington comes from the same Chicago program as 2027 four-star wide receiver Quentin Burrell, who is still committed to Michigan. Will this affect what Burrell does during the early signing period? Considering Burrell committed before Harrington, it likely won’t have a major impact, but only time will tell.
The bigger concern is whether this is the start of a trend. The early signing period opens Dec. 2, and Michigan has an offensive coordinator vacancy, an uncertain head coaching situation to some outside observers, and a lot of recruiting momentum to protect. Whittingham called every single 2027 commit the night after the MSU game, and Harrington’s flip shows how hard it is to keep a class together when a season like this happens. Four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati was also at Utah last weekend, a visit that has raised some eyebrows.
For now, Ole Miss gets a win on the trail, and the Wolverines will look to fill the void left by Harrington prior to the early signing period.
