Michigan vs. Texas: A Recruiting Battle Royale as Top Prospects Flock to Ann Arbor

The No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns are set to face off against the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday 11:00 AM CST at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In what's one of the most anticipated games of the entire 2024 season, hype has continued to build this week as the matchup will host College Gameday and Big Noon Kickoff before the game gets rolling later on in the morning.

That said, with such an important game taking place for the Longhorns this weekend, Horns247 figured what better time to get Texas commits and targets to give their score predictions for how the game will shake out.

Here's how recruits envision Texas at Michigan panning out on Saturday.

Michigan Aims to Impress Top Recruits

There will be stars both on the field and on the sidelines when Michigan squares off with Texas this weekend. Top recruiting targets, including a number of top-100 players, will be on campus. Here is the expected visitor list:

Top Targets for the Wolverines

Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines took care of business in their season-opening win vs. Fresno State last weekend. But now the first major test of the season is up next in a top-10 matchup with Texas. The Wolverines will play host to the Longhorns on the front end of a home-and-home series that will conclude in Austin in 2027. Moore and the Michigan staff will leverage the highly anticipated matchup and host a number of top recruiting targets this weekend. The expected list is below, and we’ll be updating the names as more visitors are confirmed.

Colston Loveland (WR, 2025): Michigan’s WR1 is making the trip from his Lone Star home state to watch the Wolverines take on Texas. This is a big development in Marsh’s recruitment, as there was a late push from Washington in the days leading up to his commitment in August. Getting him back to campus in short order will allow Ron Bellamy to further cement the relationship that led to Marsh choosing Michigan. Marsh’s senior year is off to a blazing start after going for 169 yards and multiple scores, he also added a kick return touchdown.
Julius Holly (S, 2025): Holly will be on campus for his official visit this weekend. He committed after visiting in June and also returned in July for the BBQ at the Big House. This will be his first game day experience in Ann Arbor, and his younger brother Jaxon Holly (see below) will join him for the trip. Julius chose the Wolverines over Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
Semaj Sadler (WR/DB, 2025): Kirk Campbell has a prime opportunity on Saturday to prove good on his word to open up the Michigan offense, which would certainly help with a guy like Sadler. The visit will mark the third time Sadler — who stars at both receiver and defensive back for Cass Tech — has been to campus this year. The No. 80 overall prospect is the top in-state recruit and is a huge priority for Michigan. He has a who’s who of offers, but the biggest challengers at this time are likely LSU and Oregon.
Javian Osborne (RB, 2025): The top-100 running back will return to Michigan after visiting for the BBQ. Osborne is a top-five back in his class and is at the top of coach Tony Alford’s board, alongside five-star Savion Hiter. The matchup with Texas offers an opportunity for Osborne to see what is likely two of his top schools, as the Longhorns currently hold the lone Crystal Ball prediction.
Travis Johnson (WR, 2025): This will be the first trip to Ann Arbor for the top-150 wideout. Johnson was expected to visit for the BBQ but had to cancel the trip last minute. At 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Johnson projects to be a big-bodied X-receiver at the next level. Of note, he was at the West Virginia-Penn State matchup last weekend; his father played in Morgantown from 2000-03, and his older brother Tory Johnson Jr. is a tight end for Mountaineers currently.
Josiah Fogle (ATH, 2025): The two-sport athlete will make the trip from Ohio. Fogle, who also stars on the basketball court, has seen his stock rise in recent months after showcasing his football abilities. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder does not yet have an offer from Michigan.
Ethan Patrick (OL, 2025): Patrick from Portage Northern (MI) will be on campus for his third visit this year. Patrick, a Michigan State legacy, is a priority in-state target for offensive line coach Grant Newsome. After releasing a top schools list this summer, this appears to be a battle between Michigan, MSU and Notre Dame.
Bryce Conroy (OL, 2025): The St. Ignatius (OH) interior offensive lineman will join Patrick on the weekend visit. Ohio State and Oregon were the presumed favorites early on in this recruitment, but Conroy released a top-five list in July that surprisingly did not include either school. If they decide to push, the Wolverines may have the inside track here as the only regional school among his finalists.
Jermaine Kinsler (OL, 2025): Bergen Catholic’s (NJ) Kinsler will make his first trip to Ann Arbor after Lou Esposito offered him last month. The top-200 junior has an impressive build at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds. While he also plays tight end for his high school, he may have some positional versatility along the offensive line at the next level. Kinsler was in College Station for Texas A&M’s season-opener last weekend and also visited Florida, Ohio State and Texas earlier this year.
Jordan Thomas (DL, 2025): Jordan Thomas will join his Bergen Catholic teammate Jermaine Kinsler on the visit to Michigan. He was originally offered by the Wolverines last fall but Lamar Morgan re-offered him in June and has been working to develop a relationship with Thomas. After being named a standout performer at Under Armour’s Future 50 event this summer, Thomas has seen his stock rise on the trail. Texas, Texas A&M, and USC have entered the picture with scholarship offers since the summer and Michigan will look to steal some momentum in what is shaping up to be a national recruitment.
Micah Goodwin (LB, 2025): Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary is looking for his first big fish on the recruiting trail since returning to Michigan. He is still chumming the waters in 2025, but he offered Goodwin earlier this spring. He will be on campus for the first time this weekend. This is shaping up to be a national recruitment with Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Auburn and Miami all involved early.
Victor Singleton (CB, 2026): The state of Ohio has produced a top-100 secondary player in 4 straight cycles dating back to 2022. Victor Singleton, the no. 76 player in the class of 2026, is next in line to extend that streak to 5 consecutive classes. Michigan has yet to offer the four-star corner but that will likely change this weekend as he visits campus for the first time. Ohio State offered in June and he was in Columbus last weekend for their season opener. Lamar Morgan will look to make a big first impression by shutting down Texas’ receiving attack.
Lincoln Keyes (TE, 2026): Saline’s Keyes is a name to know on the tight end board in 2026. The in-state prospect is quickly rising up team boards across the country and netted offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio State and Texas A&M this summer. Keyes was in Georgia last weekend for the win against Clemson, but he’s also been to Ann Arbor five times already this year.
Trey Pile (WR, 2026): Pile, a Dallas native, will be making his third trip to Michigan this year. He was on campus in the spring and for the BBQ, but will now get an opportunity to take in his first game at the Big House. Despite his three-star ranking, Pile appears to be a top target for Ron Bellamy. He kicked off his junior season with a big game and he could be a rankings riser. Oklahoma and Texas have both hosted Pile for multiple visits this year.
Recarder Kitchen (DL, 2027): Muskegon High School’s (MI) Recarder Kitchen is currently ranked as the no. 25 player in the class of 2027. Despite the proximity to Ann Arbor, this weekend will be the first visit to campus for the 6-foot-6, 230 pound sophomore. In fact, contact between Kitchen and the Wolverines has sparse and he does not yet hold a scholarship offer. Defensive line coach Lou Esposito will likely change that this weekend and has been waiting to offer the potential five-star prospect in person. Kitchen’s recruitment is just getting started but he will be a top target with no shortage of national interest.
Dakota Guerrant (WR, 2027): Guerrant is back for his second game day visit in two weeks. We mentioned last week that his ties to the program (cousin of Jacob Oden) and proximity to Ann Arbor (nearing double-digit visits) are feathers in the cap for Michigan. Guerrant was recently named a top-100 player in the initial 2027 class rankings by 247Sports.
CJ Niemi (RB, 2027): Niemi is another top-100 2027 recruit from the state of Michigan. And similar to Keyes, this is a recruitment that is going to be hotly contested. This summer, Niemi earned offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State. However, the offer from Michigan is a special one for Niemi, who grew up a fan of the Wolverines.
Brady Cartwright (TE, 2027): That’s 1, 2, 3 4 (!!!!) top-100 Michigan prospects in the early 2027 rankings. News flash — the upcoming cycle in Michigan is LOADED. Cartwright also made 247Sports’ top-100 list of prospects when they released their rankings last month. Listed at 6-foot-4 and just shy of 200 pounds, Cartwright plays some wide receiver for Detroit Country Day, but projects to tight at the next level. He’s been to campus half a dozen times already, including this summer for a camp where he won offensive MVP. Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Tennessee offered him this summer.
Cole Taylor (QB, 2027): Taylor is a familiar name in Michigan recruiting circles. The 2027 quarterback has been to campus a dozen times already and has formed a great relationship with Kirk Campbell. Days after 2026 four-star quarterback Brady Hart committed to Michigan, Taylor proclaimed it was now time for his recruitment to heat up with the Wolverines. If Campbell decides to make Taylor the top target in 2027, he very well could end up in the class.
Jaxon Holly (S, 2027): Jaxon, the sibling of Michigan commit Julius Holly, returns to campus with his older brother this weekend. The Holly brothers have made the trek from Georgia to Ann Arbor three times this calendar year. As a sophomore, Jaxon has already received scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Texas A&M and West Virginia, but Michigan holds an early pick from On3’s Zach Libby to land him.
Bryce Bidden (DB, 2027): Bidden was also in Ann Arbor last weekend alongside his Harper Woods (MI) teammate Dakota Guerrant. The high school freshman earned offers from Alabama, Indiana, Michigan State and Mississippi State after he showed exciting potential at camps over the summer. Michigan has yet to extend a scholarship, but Bidden projects to be a big time prospect and is an in-state name to know going forward.

The game will be a massive recruiting opportunity for Michigan. The Wolverines will look to impress the top recruits with a strong showing against a highly ranked opponent, and with such a high number of key targets expected to be in attendance, it's sure to be a memorable weekend for the Michigan recruiting staff.

Michigan’s Running Back Situation

Another big-time Michigan contributor to their current two-deep who is a big part of their ground game is senior running back Kalel Mullings. The big 6-foot-1 and 230-pound bowling ball of a back, Mullings serves as the bruiser back alongside Edwards among Michigan's top two rushers for this season. Edwards definitely has the ability to run guys over with the ball in his hands. But Mullings is the bigger of the two backs and he really knows how to run between the tackles and help Michigan's offense convert in those key short-yardage situations. Mullings has played both sides of the ball for Michigan during his five seasons in college up in Ann Arbor. He started his collegiate career at outside linebacker for Harbaugh and the Wolverines on the defensive side of the ball, where he registered over two dozen combined tackles and one pass breakup as a rotational player on the two-deep for the first few years. Two years ago, Michigan moved Mullings from linebacker to running back to help fill a depth need at the position after injuries to Corum and Edwards limited the numbers in the backfield in the middle of the 2022 season. Since he was moved to running back a couple of seasons ago, Mullings' role in the backfield rotation has steadily grown. He rushed for a career high 222 yards and one score last season after rushing for just 31 yards (also coming up with three rushing touchdowns) in 2022. Mullings had a big breakout performance in Michigan's Week 1 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs, where he registered a team-high 92 rushing yards on 15 carries in the 30-10 triumph. He was the most productive back Michigan had, even more so than Edwards' yardage on the day, in the double-digit victory over Fresno. When Mullings was recruited out of high school in the 2020 class, he was viewed as one of the top linebacker prospects from the east coast. He held offers from many top blue blood college programs before committing to Michigan late in the summer of 2020, including the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes, Tennessee Volunteers, and Texas.

Recruiting Implications for the Michigan vs. Texas Game

The matchup between No. 10 Michigan and No. 3 Texas is huge for all of the obvious reasons. Both programs have intentions of being a part of the playoff picture at the end of the regular season, and the outcome of Saturday's top 10 matchup in Ann Arbor will certainly factor into that equation. Although Michigan has the advantage of playing the massive regular season matchup at home, the Wolverines are widely viewed as the underdog in this one. The vast majority of analysts are expecting a relatively comfortable win for the Longhorns, and Texas is currently a 6.5 point favorite as the road team over the Wolverines. A win for Michigan would not only send a strong message to the playoff committee later in the year, it would also send a strong message to recruits that the Wolverines have no intention on falling off anything soon. Given what's at stake, it's no surprise that a long list of top-rated recruits are expected to be in Ann Arbor for the game on Saturday.