Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines have their eyes set on flipping an elite top-50 recruit from a fellow Big Ten rival
Michigan Wolverines eyeing a flip from an elite recruit
The Oregon Ducks gained a massive commitment from 2026 Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian safety Davon Benjamin, one of the most dynamic defensive players in the entire class, on Aug. 2. It was a huge victory over coach Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines, especially. Benjamin was a player they wanted in a big way.
Despite the commitment to the Ducks, that hasn’t deterred Michigan from continuing to recruit the California native. He is an elite-level prospect, and the Wolverines will continue to push up until National Signing Day. They are trying to make a flip happen.
Rivals vice president of recruiting Steve Wiltfong gave the latest on the Michigan attempt to flip Benjamin. While it doesn’t sound very likely today, that hasn’t stopped the Wolverines from exhausting all of their efforts. Here’s what Wiltfong wrote.
If you look at who Michigan’s top targets were in the 2026 cycle, it’s safe to say they landed the majority of their top targets. Benjamin was one of the few that got away.
He’s going to be a tough flip from Oregon. The Ducks were always his leader. He is in regular contact with the program. He is in the minutia from a football standpoint with Oregon already talking scheme and how he fits and learning for the next level.
But Michigan remains in contact and will try and chip away. Benjamin ranks as Rivals’ No. 22 prospect regardless of position. If it’s not Benjamin, Michigan could turn to others at the cornerback position.
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Benjamin currently ranks as the No. 35 overall player, the No. 4 safety, and the No. 7 player from the state of California in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking. His being considered a top-100 player and borderline five-star player is pretty consistent across each of the major recruiting platforms.
A long list of impressive programs had been pursuing Benjamin heavily, even after he made his pledge to Oregon. Some of the top schools that have offered include the Ducks, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, USC, Miami, Florida State, Louisville, Michigan State, Washington, UNC, Arizona State, Syracuse, BYU, Cal, UCLA, Purdue, and Mississippi State among others.
Benjamin was a playmaking force on both sides of the football for Oaks Christian during his junior year. On offense, he managed to haul in 34 receptions for 404 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded another 464 yards on punt and kick return.
The 6-foot, 170-pound athlete, of course, did his best work on the defensive side of the football. In 2024, he recorded 45 total tackles, six interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. Benjamin also scored three more touchdowns on defense.
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