Michigan recently signed three five-star recruits in its 2026 recruiting class. It’s one of the Wolverines better classes — having three five-stars — with the late addition of Utah short signee Salesi Moa, who followed Kyle Whittingham to Ann Arbor. While Moa is technically a transfer, it’s hard not to credit him as one of Michigan’s top 2026 commits.

Takeaways From Michigan’s 2026 Football Schedule Reveal

But according to ESPN, Moa doesn’t have the most NFL upside of the three — it’s Savion Hiter and Carter Meadows. ESPN recently shared which prospects are the most college-ready and which have the most NFL upside.

Hiter, the Virginia prospect, comes to Michigan as the No. 10 player in the 2026 class. Hiter was wire-to-wire the No. 1 ranked running back in the cycle, and it appears he has the inside track of being the No. 2 back this upcoming season behind Jordan Marshall. Either way, with Hiter’s talent, the NFL will be salivating for his day to enter the draft.

“The No. 2 running back in the class [per ESPN’s ranking], Hiter checks a lot of boxes NFL teams look for in running backs. His 6-foot, 200-pound frame is built to withstand a heavy workload, yet Hiter gets in and out of cuts quite quickly for his size. He can get downhill with a rare blend of burst and contact balance, but he also runs with enough patience and vision to let holes develop. Hiter’s also impactful in the passing game with great ball skills and hand size (10 inches) that would rank among the top running backs over the last five NFL combines. Patience might be required early with Jordan Marshall ahead of him, but Hiter has the physical profile and skill set of a future three-down NFL back.”

Meadows comes to Michigan as the Composite’s No. 6 player in the nation. The Wolverines went out and landed Utah’s John Henry Daley, who will start at edge this season. But after losing Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham, and TJ Guy — there is room for playing time in Ann Arbor. Meadows will have to impress right away though, as guys like Cameron Brandt, Dom Nichols, Lugard Edokpayi, and Nate Marshall, among others, have been biding their time.

“Meadows made the jump to five-star status in the latest SC Next 300 based on a blend of progress and upside. At 6-foot-6, his elite length is desirable for an edge defender and he uses it well as a menacing pass-rusher with good bend. While he’s lean and needs to continue developing his 220-pound frame, Meadows ascended the list by displaying wiry strength and surprising toughness for his size when setting the edge. He should become even more well-rounded with three years on a Power 4 strength and conditioning program. Michigan could have situational opportunities for Meadows early in his career, but his best days are ahead of him, and he has the tools to develop into a first-round pick.”

WR Zion Robinson – The One That Got Away (Most-College Ready)

Zion Robinson was committed to Michigan until he flipped on Signing Day to head to Stanford. While the Wolverines landed talented WRs Travis Johnson and Jaylen Pile — losing Robinson stung a little. But Michigan went out and landed Jaime Ffrench, JJ Buchanan, and Salesi Moa from the portal.

“Robinson is a gamer who shows up in big moments. He’s not fazed by the bright lights and the caliber of competition won’t overwhelm him. The 6-foot-3 receiver impressed against elite defenders at the Under Armour All-America Game, showcasing terrific hands, ball skills and a wide catch radius with a near 80-inch wingspan. His 10.5-inch hands shine on contested catches, but he can do more than just win contested 50-50 balls. Robinson has 4.47 40-yard dash speed and surprises defenders with his agility, explosion and wiggle after the catch. Robinson is likely better than any other receiver on Stanford’s roster.”

— Sign up for the Michigan Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage fromMichigan Wolverines on SI —

• Child care subsidy programs have faced increased scrutiny following claims of widespread program fraud from the Trump administration.
• A Republican state lawmaker called for a program evaluation that the auditor general recently decided to add to its docket in 2026.

Michigan’s auditor general plans to review the state’s child care subsidy program, and among the factors for the decision is a request for an audit from State Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt. 

Nesbitt, who is running for governor, called for an audit of the program after Trump administration claims of widespread child care subsidy fraud in Minnesota and across the nation.  

Nesbitt’s request is one of several factors that led the auditor general to put the program on its 2026 docket, which includes around 30 other programs. Other factors that inform this kind of decision include whether there’s available staff to carry out the audit, the program’s audit history and general public interest in the program, said Kelly Miller, Office of the Auditor General spokesperson, in an email.

The specifics of what the audit will cover are not yet known, since auditors have to first identify areas of concern or improvement before figuring out what the scope of the evaluation will look like, Miller wrote.

The auditor general carries out annual financial audits on each major state subsidy program using federal dollars, but given its limited time and resource, the office must be selective in which programs receive performance audits.

Financial audits make sure a program is complying with federal requirements tied to federal dollars, performance audits put a magnifying glass to some specific program element, often related to policies and procedures. Past Michigan child care subsidy performance audits have identified problems including a lack of systems to track the accuracy of payments to child care providers and insufficient background vetting of licensed providers. 

The last performance audit of Michigan’s child care subsidy system came out in November 2025, though it didn’t focus on evaluating how well the program manages fraud and improper payments. Instead, it focused on an issue that continues to come up consistently for providers and families utilizing the program: poor communication practices by the state’s early childhood agency, MiLEAP, which administers the program, that leave child care providers and parents stranded when payments are late or kids can’t get turned onto the subsidy.

MiLEAP did not respond to requests for comment but department spokesperson Aundreana Jones-Poole said in a statement earlier this month that “MiLEAP has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud or abuse of funds meant to benefit Michigan families.”

Sen. Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, said in a press release that he welcomed the audit, calling it “good news for legitimate, law-abiding child care providers and the many families who struggle to find affordable childcare throughout our state. It’s time to root out waste, fraud and abuse and hold our state agencies accountable for everyone who is fighting to make it in Michigan.”

Auditor general investigations are two of several state oversight measures intended to track a program’s integrity and curb potential program fraud: MiLEAP randomly audits licensed providers across Michigan to check time and attendance records and make sure billing is accurate and the Inspector General for the Michigan Department for Health and Human Services carries out fraud investigations each year.

The federal government’s Office of Child Care also audits every state’s subsidy program. States are grouped in cohorts that are evaluated in 3-year cycles. Michigan’s next federal audit is also coming up in March 2026, according to the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a Michigan-based early childhood nonprofit. Federal audits look at how programs tackle fraud and address subsidy payment errors.