The clock is ticking, National Signing Day is here! Michigan enters the battlefield ranked No. 7 in the 2025 recruiting class. Not a bad start, but Sherrone Moore isn’t done. He’s hunting for late-game magic. Moore is targeting players who are rethinking their commitments and are easy to flip. And at least one of them could make his Signing Day dream come true.
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Just a day left for National Signing Day and ESPN radio host Craig Shemon got on Locked On Big 10 on February 4 to drop some final recruiting bombs. The Michigan native singled out two highly-rated Michigan targets, starting with 5-star OT Ty Haywood from Denton, TX. “It’s looking like Michigan has the best opportunity to close this deal, and that would really be an exclamation point on the recruiting class.” It’s interesting to see Sherrone Moore in hot pursuit of this former Alabama commit who decommitted earlier in January.
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines looks on during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Ty Haywood is a name to watch. The coveted No. 8 OT and No. 48 overall player in the 2025 class, per On3. With his intimidating size, the 6’5, 285-pound OT is exactly the type of anchor that Michigan needs to protect the nation’s No. 1 overall player, Bryce Underwood, whom Sherrone Moore flipped from LSU. Michigan got a late official visit from the Ryan HS standout on January 17, and Shemon believes there’s a real shot — “He’s trending Michigan. Michigan got a late visit from him but there’s some uncertainty out there.”
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Haywood is also heavily pursued by other programs like Florida State and Texas Tech. But On3 Recruits expert Steve Wiltfong also holds a positive stance — “Talking to sources around Ty Haywood and talking to sources around Michigan, Texas Tech, Florida State… the three programs that he’s had communication with down the stretch of this process. I love where the maize and blue… Michigan stands in the recruitment of Ty Haywood.” Now, there’s another player that Michigan has been eyeing since his decommitment from Ohio State.
Is Sherrone Moore winning or losing the recruitment battle?
On the flip side, Michigan may have to strike out their interest in 4-star edge rusher Zahir Mathis from Philadelphia. The 6’6, 225-pounder committed to Ohio State in September 2023 before the wild news of his decommitment last November. And despite the interest from Michigan, it wasn’t mutual. Mathis canceled his trip to Ann Arbor last minute. And the compass is pointing to Maryland and Florida State as a potential landing spot.
Michigan still ranks in the nation’s top-10 recruiting class with 23 commits, headlined by Underwood and another 5-star OT, Andrew Babalola. Still, the Wolverines also lost two of their key linemen targets in Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler, to Indiana and Nebraska, respectively. And it’s safe to say Mathis is another missed target.
As for Ty Haywood, adding him would be a game changer. If Sherrone Moore can seal the deal, it would cap off a massive recruiting cycle and set the Wolverines up for a dominant 2025 season.
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M.R. Jenifer