Four-star LB not rushing decision, and that may be a good thing for Michigan

We’ve hit the middle of the summer, a key time in the recruiting calendar for the Michigan Wolverines. In this edition of the Recruiting Roundup, we’ll discuss a four-star linebacker Michigan has been heavily pursuing, and two 2026 prospects planning to be on campus soon.

Four-star LB taking his time, and it may be a good thing for U-M

Four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng has been a top priority for the Wolverines’ 2025 pursuits in recent months. He went on his official visit last month and he also visited back in May.

Owusu-Boateng has also been on other official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC, and Florida is hoping to get him on campus soon. In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons ($), he touched on what his priorities are in finding the right school.

“My top three things are education, life after football and relationships,” Owusu-Boateng said. “It is a tight race with my top schools and I could go to any of the five schools on my list. The fall will be important to me.”

Owusu-Boateng, ranked 72nd overall in his class on the 247Sports composite, mentioned Michigan’s recent success is a reason why he could see himself thriving in Ann Arbor.

“My connections are real with each school,” he said. “At Michigan, I love how the players compete and lead. They have that chip on their coaches are great. They are on top and will look to continue to win championships.”

Owusu-Boateng also mentioned he is a man of his word and that when he commits, his recruitment is shut down. But he’s not rushing the big decision.

“My plan was to always take my time and not rush anything, so I will continue to talk to these schools and figure out where is best for me,” the linebacker said. “This is not a short-term decision, it is a long-term decision, so I will take all the time I need.”

This could be a good thing for the Wolverines. He’s a Notre Dame legacy prospect, so most experts thought if he committed somewhere soon, it would be to the Irish. The longer this plays out, the better for the Wolverines.

Top-200 RB wants to visit Michigan this fall, possibly with

Michigan has been a premiere destination for running backs in recent years, and with new running backs coach Tony Alford in place, a few 2025 backs — four-stars Jasper Parker and Donovan Johnson — have committed already.

Michigan is still looking to land their first 2026 running back, and that could very well be four-star Javian Mallory, a Boca Raton, Florida native ranked 176th in his class and 13th among running backs. Mallory initially was going to visit for the BBQ at the Big House, but now appears to be planning a gameday visit.

“My family and I spoke to coach Alford (recently) and just decided to come up for some games this year because it was going to be a lot to get up there (in July),” Mallory told The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($). “(I’m looking to make) either the Texas, USC or Oregon game. Coach Alford and I talk pretty often. Last time we talked about coming up for a game was Sunday.”

As was the case with Parker and Johnson, Alford’s relationship with Mallory plays a key role in this recruitment, but another important relationship is with 2026 four-star quarterback commit Brady Hart. The two have formed a bond, especially ever since Hart committed to Michigan last month.

“Attending a Michigan game together is a possibility definitely,” Mallory said.

In-state tight end planning to visit for BBQ at the Big House

A ton of players will be in Ann Arbor for the BBQ at the Big House later this month, which has been Michigan’s biggest recruiting event of the summer for quite some time now. One player who is expected to be there is 2026 three-star tight end Lincoln Keyes, as reported by 247Sports’ Steve Lorenz ($).

Keyes, ranked just outside the top-400 in his class on the composite, has picked up offers recently from Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Michigan State and Ohio State, among others. Oddly enough, the Saline native has not yet picked up an offer from Michigan. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him walk away from the BBQ with an offer, so perhaps Grant Newsome and company can catch up to where some of the other programs are at later this month.

Quick Hitters

• Jordan Young, a 2025 top-100 four-star safety who recently took his official visit to Michigan, included the Wolverines in his top-four, along with Clemson, Florida State and NC State. There are three Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Clemson.
• Five-star interior offensive lineman Lamar Brown, who is ranked fifth in the 2026 class, included Michigan in his top-12.