Predictions flying in for Michigan to land top recruiting targets after defeating Ohio State

After taking down Ohio State on Saturday, 30-24, the Michigan Wolverines punched their ticket to Indianapolis for a shot at a third consecutive Big Ten championship. In doing so, they also improved their standing with a handful of top-notch recruits in the 2025 class, and even received some predictions to land some recruits.

247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong put in a Crystal Ball to land four-star tight end Eli Owens, who was in attendance for The Game. Hailing from Alcoa, Tennessee, Owens stands 6-foot-1.5 and weighs 242 pounds — certainly more in the mold of an H-Back like Max Bredeson. Owens is ranked No. 336 overall, No. 18 at the tight end position and No. 11 from his state.

“The atmosphere was electric,” Owens told Wiltfong. “Always is in the Big House, then just the way they use all of their tight ends and the versatility that each of them poses, there’s something to do for every type of tight end.”

Two predictions came in yesterday by On3’s EJ Holland and Zach Libby for Michigan to flip three-star Arkansas safety commit Marcus Wimberly. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Wimberly is an Arkansas native and has been committed to the Razorbacks since July. However, with the way their season went — 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC — Wimberly seems a bit more open to looking around. He was in Ann Arbor on Saturday and

“The whole stadium was rocking,” Wimberly told Wiltfong. “It was the experience of a lifetime! Winning attracts anybody who wants to win. That’s one thing, but the importance of family around Michigan is amazing! Everything today lived up to the expectations! Michigan sits very high with me and I will hopefully be back. Like you said, I am committed to the Razorbacks, but Michigan was definitely an amazing experience and I think of them very highly.”

He also told Libby: “Winners attract winners. That’s the most intriguing thing about today. That was the craziest atmosphere ever.”

Jay Harbaugh is very high on Wimberly in this cycle. Nothing seems imminent, but keep an eye on this one moving forward.

Holland also put in predictions for three others — four-star defensive back Alex Graham, four-star defensive lineman Jaylen Williams and four-star offensive lineman Avery Gach.

Graham and Gach are both Michigan natives, but Graham actually plays high school football now down at IMG Academy in Florida. According to Holland, Graham was not expected to make it in for The Game yesterday, but he made some arrangements and went out of his way to make it to Ann Arbor. as it pertains to Gach, Holland noted Michigan has “the clear lead” and the win over OSU helped Michigan’s chances of landing him.

Finally, Williams — an Illinois native — told Holland he’s dreamed of playing at Michigan, and he messaged Holland after the game saying “It feels good to be a Michigan Wolverine.” It’s not hard to see that he’s highly interested in playing his college football in Ann Arbor.

All in all, it was a great day for Michigan. The winning result in The Game has a huge impact on how the 2023 season transpires, but it also has an impact on how the Wolverines do on the recruiting trail. So far, so good.