Michigan Wolverines miss on playmaker who could have kickstarted recruiting rebuild for Kyle Whittingham’s first class

Michigan swings and misses for a 2027 recruit who could have snowballed into more.

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
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Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks as he is being introduced on the floor during the first half between Michigan and USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan Wolverines have begun the rebuilding of their recruiting class of 2027. After the Sherrone Moore debacle and a complete staff overhaul, new head coach Kyle Whittingham and his staff have to begin rebuilding the inroads to prospects across the country, build new relationships with players and coaches, and reconfigure their priorities and targets.

It’s not an easy thing to do, but fortunately, they have plenty of time before Early Signing Day for the 2027 class. Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough time to close the gap for a 2027 playmaker from a recruiting hotbed who just committed to stay in-state.

Michigan misses out on California playmaker

Three-star California wide receiver Eli Woodard chose the USC Trojans over the Wolverines on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the Wolverines to begin the process to look elsewhere to add their first wide receiver of the 2027 class.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to the staff, as Michigan was very late to the party in recruiting Woodward. They first offered him just two weeks ago, and never even got him to campus for a visit. USC, on the other hand, had been recruiting Woodard for months and had hosted him multiple times. Still, it’s a loss that will sting, even though I have no doubt the Wolverines will still continue trying to recruit Woodard in an effort to bring him to Ann Arbor.

Michigan sits with just four commits in the class of 2027, a number they are tirelessly working on improving. A pivotal offseason approaches, and the Wolverines are hosting a veritable boatload of recruits in the coming weeks and months before the season starts in an effort to make Kyle Whittingham’s first recruiting class a successful one.

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