Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football Falls Short In Battle For 4-Star Edge Rusher

The Wolverines battled hard for this four-star EDGE from the West Coast, but came up short on commitment day...

Matt Lounsberry

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

After an excellent recruiting month in June, Michigan Football is still seeking its first commitment of July after missing out on another top target on Tuesday.

Four-star Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley edge rusher Marco Jones has committed to Texas A&M, choosing the Aggies among a ‘Final Four’ which also included Michigan, Texas and USC. This comes one day after the Wolverines also saw one of their top offensive line targets, four-star Hardy Watts, commit to Wisconsin on Monday.

Jones, the No. 167 overall prospect in the class of 2025 (247Sports Composite), has garnered more than 30 offers from across the country. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder took official visits to each of his finalists over the past five weeks before settling on Texas A&M. Jones is considered the No. 15 edge rusher and No. 15 player from the state of California in this recruiting cycle.

Michigan has recruited the defensive line well for 2025, having landed previous commitments from four-stars Nathaniel Marshall (No. 43 overall), Jaylen Williams (No. 242), Julius Holly (No. 300) and Bobby Kanka (No. 385). Jones would have been a nice addition to that haul up front, and the Wolverines could continue their pursuit of the California native as the year goes on.

Michigan got off to a slow start in the 2025 recruiting cycle after all the coaching turnover which occurred following the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship victory. After an outstanding month in June, however, U-M is starting to put together one of the best classes in the Big Ten and the country. Currently, the Wolverines’ 2025 class ranks No. 18 nationally and No. 6 in the conference. Additionally, Michigan’s class features an average player rating of 91.03, which is the 11th-best mark in the nation and third-best in the Big Ten.

Michigan Football Verbal Commits, Class of 2025

  • Four-star DL Nathaniel Marshall; Fenwick High School; Oak Park, Ill.; No 41 nationally, No. 4 Defensive Lineman, No. 1 in state of Illinois
  • Four-star S Kainoa Winston; Gonzaga College High School; Washington, D.C.; No. 88 nationally, No. 9 Safety, No. 1 in Washington D.C.
  • Four-star QB Carter Smith; Bishop Verot High School; Fort Myers, Fla.; No. 161 nationally, No. 14 Quarterback, No. 23 in state of Florida
  • Four-star RB Donovan Johnson; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 233 nationally, No. 16 Running Back, No. 34 in state of Florida
  • Four-star DL Jaylen Williams; Palatine High School; Palatine, Ill.; No. 236 nationally, No. 29 Defensive Lineman, No. 6 in state of Illinois
  • Four-star OT Avery Gach; Wylie E. Groves High School; Franklin, Mich.; No. 247 nationally, No. 14 Offensive Tackle, No. 2 in state of Michigan
  • Four-star EDGE Julius Holly; Alpharetta High School; Alpharetta, Ga.; No. 301 nationally, No. 22 Edge Rusher, No. 38 in state of Georgia
  • Four-star WR Jacob Washington; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 320 nationally, No. 46 Wide Receiver, No. 8 in state of Louisiana
  • Four-star DL Bobby Kanka; Howell High School; Howell, Mich.; No. 383 nationally, No. 42 Defensive Lineman, No. 4 in state of Michigan
  • Four-star TE Eli Owens; Alcoa High School; Alcoa, Tenn.; No. 405 nationally, No. 21 Tight End, No. 13 in state of Tennessee
  • Three-star IOL Kaden Strayhorn; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 437 nationally, No. 28 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 58 in state of Florida
  • Three-star RB Jasper Parker; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 442 nationally, No. 33 Running Back, No. 15 in state of Louisiana
  • Three-star LB Chase Taylor; Stockbridge High School; Stockbridge, Ga.; No. 587 nationally, No. 62 Linebacker, No. 63 in state of Georgia

More Michigan News:

Michigan Football Trending For A Trio Of Offensive Weapons

Michigan Football: 2025 Recruiting Commitment Tracker

Michigan Football Recruit Wins Major Award During Camp

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

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Matt Lounsberry
MATT LOUNSBERRY

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