The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Michigan using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Michigan set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Tristan Comer (OT)
- National rank: #1,186 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #98
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, West Virginia, Northwestern, Oregon State, Army
- High school: Freeland (Freeland, MI)
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2 / 20#19. Jeremiah Gray (DL)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #116
- College: Cincinnati
- Offers: Cincinnati, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Louisville
- High school: Central (Detroit, MI)
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3 / 20#18. Tommy Carr (QB)
- National rank: #962 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #49
- College: Miami (OH)
- Offers: Miami (OH), Rutgers, Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan
- High school: Saline (Saline, MI)
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4 / 20#17. Izaiah Wright (RB)
- National rank: #848 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #51
- College: Purdue
- Offers: Purdue, Akron, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Colorado State
- High school: Oscar A. Carlson (Rockwood, MI)
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5 / 20#16. Jack Janda (TE)
- National rank: #815 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #44
- College: Wisconsin
- Offers: Wisconsin, Michigan State, Stanford, Ball State, Bowling Green
- High school: Catholic Central (Orchard Lake, MI)
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6 / 20#15. Benjamin Eziuka (IOL)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #57
- College: Penn State
- Offers: Penn State, Cincinnati, Stanford, Akron, Central Michigan
- High school: Catholic Central (Novi, MI)
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7 / 20#14. Jaidon Windom (S)
- National rank: #694 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #54
- College: Cincinnati
- Offers: Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State
- High school: Martin Luther King (Detroit, MI)
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8 / 20#13. Khalief Canty (IOL)
- National rank: #662 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #53
- College: Missouri
- Offers: Missouri, Michigan State, North Carolina, Alabama, Auburn
- High school: Cass Technical (Detroit, MI)
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9 / 20#12. Lincoln Watkins (TE)
- National rank: #629 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #33
- College: Kentucky
- Offers: Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, Akron, Arizona State
- High school: Port Huron Northern (Port Huron, MI)
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10 / 20#11. Marcus Jennings (LB)
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11 / 20#9 (tie). Marcello Vitti (ATH)
- National rank: #580 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #40
- College: Iowa
- Offers: Iowa, Michigan State, Akron, Arkansas, Auburn
- High school: Divine Child (Dearborn, MI)
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12 / 20#9 (tie). Sullivan Garvin (IOL)
- National rank: #580 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #48
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Akron, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan
- High school: Allegan (Allegan, MI)
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13 / 20#8. Kory Amachree (RB)
- National rank: #506 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #33
- College: Kansas
- Offers: Kansas, Northwestern, Indiana, Akron, Arizona State
- High school: Haslett (Haslett, MI)
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14 / 20#7. Eli Bickel (OT)
- National rank: #444 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #39
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Cornell, Eastern Michigan
- High school: North Branch (North Branch, MI)
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15 / 20#6. Kayd Coffman (QB)
- National rank: #365 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #27
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Colorado
- High school: East Kentwood (Grand Rapids, MI)
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16 / 20#5. Samson Gash (WR)
- National rank: #362 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #54
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Buffalo
- High school: Catholic Central (Novi, MI)
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17 / 20#4. Lincoln Keyes (TE)
- National rank: #296 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #14
- College: Georgia
- Offers: Georgia, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Boston College
- High school: Saline (Saline, MI)
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18 / 20#3. Ben Nichols (IOL)
- National rank: #280 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #19
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan
- High school: Davison (Davison, MI)
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19 / 20#2. Gregory Patrick (OT)
- National rank: #189 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #16
- College: Notre Dame
- Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Baylor, Central Michigan, Illinois
- High school: Portage Northern (Portage, MI)
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20 / 20#1. CJ Sadler (ATH)
- National rank: #127 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #7
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Colorado, Maryland, Akron, Alabama
- High school: Cass Technical (Detroit, MI)
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