Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff currently possess a Top 30 recruiting class in the 2027 cycle on both 247Sports and Rivals. Specifically, with Rivals, Michigan is ranked No. 23 overall and in the top half of the Big Ten Conference. Two of the five commits are ranked as four-star prospects by the national recruiting services.
Here are the players Michigan has in the class up to this point.
Four-star edge rusher Recarder Kitchen
- Commitment Date: 11/30/25
- School: Muskegon (Mich.) High
- Height/Weight: 6-5, 240
- 247Sports Rankings: No. 137 Overall, No. 17 edge, No. 7 in Michigan
- Rivals Rankings: No. 154 Overall, No. 16 edge, No. 7 in Michigan
- The Teams Michigan Beat Out: Michigan State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, more
How We Got Here & Current Trends: Kitchen’s journey to committing to Michigan began
during the early portions of his sophomore season. He was already a high touted in-stater when the Wolverines entered the mix, and as the offers kept pilling up, so did his affinity for the program. Kitchen’s pledge occurred a day after the Ohio State game last season, and even during the coaching staff change a few months ago, his decision never wavered. Whittingham and multiple assistants even dropped by Muskegon High in January as a reminder that Kitchen will remain a cornerstone piece for the class. Michigan thinks highly of Kitchen’s ability to make impact off the edge, which is where he’ll likely contribute right out of the gate once enrolled.
Four-star safety Darrell Mattison
- Commitment Date: 3/24/26
- School: Chicago (Ill.) Morgan Park
- Height/Weight: 6-2, 160
- 247Sports Rankings: No. 243 Overall, No. 23 Safety, No. 11 in Illinois
- Rivals Rankings: No. 51 Safety, No. 25 in Illinois
- The Teams Michigan Beat Out: Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Washington, more
How We Got Here: Mattison is credited as the first prospect to commit to Michigan under the newly-formed Whittingham era. U-M safeties coach Tyler Stockton has been white hot on the trail this spring, having now secured two verbal commitments since the beginning of camp. The announcement came a week after Mattison visited Ann Arbor on March 17, as he began a snowball effect of two more targets locking in their decision soon afterwards. Scouting reports appear to be high on Mattison’s physicality, which parallels what we’ve heard out of U-M’s defense in practices these past few weeks, matching the expectations set forth by Whittingham and his preferred style of football.
Three-star OL Sidney Rouleau
- Commitment Date: 3/29/26
- School: Bullard (Tex.) The Brock Hill School
- Height/Weight: 6-5, 240
- 247Sports Rankings: No. 73 IOL, No. 115 in Texas
- Rivals Rankings: No. 60 IOL, No. 105 in Texas
- The Teams Michigan Beat Out: SMU, Rutgers, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, more
How We Got Here & Current Trends: It shouldn’t be a surprise that Michigan offensive line coach Jim Harding got a verbal commitment this early into the year, considering his track record of producing bonafide NFL picks. He ended up spending three days on campus beginning March 26, then dropped the news on the 29th. A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, Rouleau’s offer arrived a little more than two weeks before the visit, so it was a quick turnaround for the Wolverines to secure his services. Although Rouleau is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, On3 reported he’s measuring at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. Continued growth over the next several months for Rouleau will only increase his ceiling.
Three-star safety Maxwell Miles
- Commitment Date: 3/25/26
- School: Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial
- Height/Weight: 6-2, 195
- 247Sports Rankings: No. 59 Safety, No. 6 in Nevada
- Rivals Rankings: No. 97 Safety, No. 7 in Nevada
- The Teams Michigan Beat Out: Minnesota, UNLV, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, San Diego State, more
How We Got Here & Current Trends: Michigan checked off every box for Miles on his March 21 visit to Ann Arbor. That’s also when he announced an offer. Days later, predictions came in for the Wolverines to land their second 2027 safety in a matter of 24 hours. Miles would follow suit of Mattison to begin an impressive crop of incoming secondary ballhawks. A significant factor as to why Miles decided to shut his recruitment down as quickly as he did was the effort made by Stockton and defensive coordinator Jay Hill. He actually revealed to 247Sports that his mind was made up while on the visit. The effect of landing a talent from Las Vegas, an area spoiled with playmakers, could also pay dividends for U-M this cycle. Look out for Miles to be a standout peer recruiter for fellow West Coast prospects who are interested in the Wolverines.
Three-star OL Louis Esposito
- Commitment Date: 7/20/26
- School: Saline (Mich.) High
- Height/Weight: 6-6, 290
- 247Sports Rankings: No. 59 IOL, No. 17 in Michigan
- Rivals Rankings: No. 71 IOL, No. 19 in Michigan
- The Teams Michigan Beat Out: Toledo, Louisville, Pitt, Purdue, Syracuse, Miami (OH), more
How We Got Here & Current Trends: Residing less than 30 minutes from Michigan’s campus, Esposito wasted little time in making a verbal pledge to the local school just weeks after picking up an offer this past summer. Esposito has spent this offseason establishing a close rapport with the new coaching staff, who intend of keeping him in the fold. The idea is for Esposito to take his official visit on the weekend of June 19, but is also staying methodical in making sure Ann Arbor is indeed home. He visited Notre Dame last month, but he told On3 in February that his desire to play for the Wolverines has not changed, even if his father is not donning the Maize and Blue anymore.
