Maize n Brew traveled to Chicago on Sunday for the Under Armour NEXT All-American Camp, where multiple Michigan commits and targets were on hand. Here’s the latest from The Windy City:
2027 edge rusher Ifeanyi Emedobi
Michigan sees immense potential in the three-star rusher out of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop. How his football career started can be considered unorthodox compared to his peers, but he’s grown to become a perennial Power 4 prospect in a short time.
Emedobi was discovered by his trainers at the nationally recognized Traction
AP organization when they were heard about a student who didn’t play sports but was seen dunking in the gym. Emedobi has one year of organized football under his belt and has garnered double-digit offers from the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC.
Although the Wolverines offered later than others, they have worked quickly to establish themselves as a top school. Emedobi released a Top 4 last Friday that featured Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State and Indiana. His official visit will take place June 19-21 during Victor’s Weekend.
Momentum is on Michigan’s side for him entering the latter half of May. Reasons include, but not limited to, the recent connection built with defensive ends coach Lewis Powell and assistant defensive line coach David Denham. He was offered earlier this month and both staff members visited him at his high school. They’re high on Emedobi’s potential to be versatile in Michigan’s multiple front defense.
As Emedobi continues to grow as a player, he’s also learning more about the Wolverines. His family and trainers are deeply fond of the educational and athletics opportunities. He aspires to major in psychology and is looking forward to learning about that more during his official visit. His father, Samuel Emedobi, played collegiately at Eastern Michigan, and the family has traveled to Detroit more than once, so there’s familiarity with the area.
Michigan will get the final word next month before he commits, so an opportunity to garner a high upside edge rusher is on the horizon.
2027 WR Quentin Burrell
Burrell walked away Sunday earning an invite to the Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando in January. His accolade arrived not too long following his commitment to Michigan, becoming the first wide receiver to join the class. Of the 15 pledges, 10 decided this month, including fellow Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel four-star defensive back Tavares Harrington. Burrell can’t wait to spend his college years with one of his good friends.
Burrell has now turned his attention to recruiting his fellow classmates. His official visit takes place during Victor’s Weekend, so he’s been busy reaching out to those interested in the Wolverines. The message to the uncommitted targets has been to come be great together — he feels pledges can’t occur without taking a role of relationship building, meaning he’s taking pride in doing so.
He also called the 2027 class a group of “dawgs” with expectations that the additions of high-profile commits not coming to an end. One player Burrell is getting to know well is four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati — he is also excited to connect further with him.
Burrell cited wide receivers coach Micah Simon and head coach Kyle Whittingham as big reasons for shutting down his recruitment. He saw the staff changes that transpired over the offseason, and when he returned to campus in the spring, he saw the vision of what the new leaders are constructing. He likes that the coaches bring a “tell it like is” approach because that’s what he was looking for from a program.
2027 OL Louis Esposito
As the longest tenured Michigan commit in the class, Esposito is taking the wave of pledges as a sign that prospects from around the country “are realizing that Michigan is the place to be.” He’s preparing to deepen the class bond in mid-June during Victor’s Weekend when he takes his official visit. Right now, the group chat that all 15 commits are a part of is littered with love shown to each individual.
Esposito shared his excitement that another projected offensive lineman hailing from Michigan chose the Wolverines in four-star Jakari Lipsey. The two of them grew up competing against each other in youth sports, and now they’ll be in the same spot going through the college journey together.
Esposito and Lipsey are among the four 2027 in-state recruits committed to the Wolverines, with Grand Rapids running back Lundon Hampton being the latest to join the class. Esposito said it’s important to have players who know what representing the Maize and Blue is all about, something that offensive line coach Jim Harding has talked with him about.
Speaking of Harding, he also iterated to Esposito about building the class from the inside out, and how Esposito was a priority for him this offseason. Before Esposito showed up for the camp, he received a text from Harding saying “good luck.” It’s part of the support Harding has shown to Esposito that is greatly appreciated.
Sunday was a month removed from the NFL Draft, which saw two of Harding’s offensive linemen at Utah get selected in the first round. Knowing that, plus Harding’s pedigree throughout his tenure as an offensive line developer, has Esposito excited to learn under him.
2028 WR Mylan Griggs
Michigan is making headway in a major way this spring with Griggs, as he lives less than an hour away from Ann Arbor. Coming to the Under Armour Camp from Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech, he is high on the new coaches and what he’s seen from the revamped offense.
Griggs caught a practice at Schembechler Hall in Marchm where he developed a foundation with Simon. Ron Bellamy is also playing a part, as he and Griggs go back years because of the staffer’s recruiting ties to the Detroit area.
The primary focus for Griggs remains capturing another state championship, but as for his process, he’s gaining a grasp of what he wants in a school on-and-off the field, as well as how he fits in certain schemes. Other schools vying for his services are Illinois, Miami, Nebraska and Kentucky. He plans on returning to Michigan this fall and will be monitoring the playmaking of the rostered wideouts.
2028 TE Jordan McKinley
Michigan offered McKinley the second week of May, entering the mix this month alongside Alabama, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, and more. Michigan looks to have the same recruiting success in Chicagoland for the 2028 cycle as it has for 2027.
McKinley attends Loyola Academy in Wilmette, the same school that produced offensive lineman Brooks Bahr. At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, he is touted for his in-line blocking and hybrid ability to play wide receiver, which he did during the 1v1 drill portion of Sunday’s camp against defensive backs. He’s one of eight 2028 tight ends to hold a Michigan offer and one of two from Chicago.
2029 QB Case Campbell
Another in-state underclassmen who competed on Sunday and yields a Michigan offer is Campbell. He’s burst onto the national scene after success at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep and is utilizing family for assisting on the recruiting trail.
Campbell’s father is Mark Campbell, who played on the 1997 national championship team in Ann Arbor and spent 10 years in the NFL. His older brother, Caden, is currently a guard at Bowling Green. Campbell calls his dad his right-hand man and is helping prepare him for the next level.
The legacy aspect of earning an offer from the program his father was a part of was an “awesome” moment for Campbell, but he’s also interested due to the coaching staff. Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. and offensive coordinator Jason Beck are making a strong impression on Campbell, as he liked what he saw from them during the practice he attended this spring.
As an in-state signal caller, Campbell is paying attention to Bryce Underwood and Tommy Carr and their individual developments. All three share roots of growing up in the area, and Campbell is rooting for the others to grow further as leaders. Specifically, with Underwood, who finished as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2025 class, Campbell believes he can work to earn that honor as well. He knows the sacrifices and mentality it’ll take to get there.
Targets trending elsewhere
It appears Michigan is on the outside looking in for a pair of elite recruits who competed at the camp Sunday.
Roman Igwebuike, a 2027 four-star linebacker out of powerhouse Mt. Carmel, didn’t include the Wolverines in his Top 5 dropped that he dropped a couple weeks ago, and signs don’t point to him returning soon. Some notable linebackers Michigan is pushing for are Massillon (Ohio) High’s Brayton Feister, Buford (Ga.) High’s Brayden Watson, and Bridge City (Tex.) High’s Bryce Breeden.
Multiple predictions were made Friday in favor of Texas A&M for 2028 four-star Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech quarterback Donald Tabron II. He was in Ann Arbor last on April 18 for the spring game.
Should Michigan miss out on the in-state gunslinger, it is in the mix for guys like Miami (Fla.) American Heritage’s Neimann Lawrence and Clovis (Calif.) West’s Jamar Howard. Both visited Michigan this spring and are ranked No. 7 and No. 25, respectively, at their position by Rivals.
