Michigan
What Bear McWhorter’s commitment means for Michigan football
The strengths of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class were the quarterback and offensive line positions, highlighted by top-ranked signal-caller Bryce Underwood and two top-50 prospects up front with five-star Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood.
The Wolverines landed a potential building block along the line in the 2026 class last week with a commitment from White (Ga.) Cass four-star interior lineman Bear McWhorter.
Here’s what his verbal pledge means for the Wolverines:
– This is an instance where a prospect’s offers list could be more indicative of his potential rather than his ranking. McWhorter is low four-star in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the No. 390 overall prospect nationally, but he holds 40 reported offers.
– There is a large disparity between how the four recruiting services view McWhorter heading into his senior season. ESPN and Rivals both rate him as a four-star, while the former ranks him as a top-200 prospect overall and the No. 5 interior lineman in the country. On3 and 247Sports both have him as a three-star, with 247Sports ranking him as the 88th overall interior lineman.
– Michigan went into SEC territory and beat out other finalists Alabama, Florida, South Carlina and Clemson to land McWhorter. Recruiting can be unpredictable, and McWhorter’s decision appeared to surprise many experts. He grew up an Alabama fan and is named after legendary Tide coach Bear Bryant. Many recruiting analysts predicted McWhorter would end up in Tuscaloosa, but he chose the Wolverines in his announcement ceremony at his school, donning a block “M” hat.
He told On3 his decision came down to the wire.
“There were some changes for me since I set my commitment date,” he said. “I kept talking to the coaches, talking with my family and it came down to being a part of that blue-collar mentality at Michigan.
“The players are a lot like me. The vibe is awesome up there and the guys in the program are guys I am ready to war with every day. I love the people, and it is an environment I feel I can thrive in.”
– The Wolverines are off to a slow start in the 2026 cycle, with McWhorter becoming just their third pledge and first offensive lineman. We’ll see if his commitment can give Sherrone Moore’s program some momentum heading into spring and summer, when several blue-chip recruits are slated to visit Ann Arbor.
– McWhorter’s commitment continues a recent string of success for Michigan against Alabama on and off the field. It beat the Tide in the postseason each of the past two seasons and also flipped Haywood from them last cycle. Haywood, a top-50 prospect, decommitted from Alabama in January and signed with Michigan during the late period in February.
– Moore and offensive line coach Grant Newsome signed four offensive linemen in the 2025 class and could take up to five this cycle. The position will always be a priority for Moore, a former offensive lineman at Oklahoma who guided the Wolverines to two Joe Moore Awards coaching the position. Michigan is aiming high at the position too, with Nixa (Mo.) five-star tackle and No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Cantwell, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day four-star interior lineman Leo Delaney, Honolulu Kamehameha four-star tackle Malakai Lee and Portage Northern four-star tackle Gregory Patrick and Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley five-star interior lineman John Turntine among the top targets. All are top-200 recruits nationally.
“Coach Newsome talks to me every day,” McWhorter told On3. “He is a very personable guy. I can go to him about anything and we have gotten really close. I trust him, I like who he is and I believe in him.
“Coach Moore was a huge factor too. He is a great head coach who has had a lot of success coaching offensive linemen. I really like how they develop offensive linemen, the culture is great and I really want to be a part of it.”
Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.
The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.
It’s not over.
To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.
There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.
The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.
The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
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