Michigan Recruiting: 2026 linebacker has Wolverines high on list due to 'elite academics and athletics'
If a recruit is looking for a school that offers elite athletics and academics, the University of Michigan can emphatically check both of those boxes. The academic side of the university is known for its strict requirements and having a notoriously low acceptance rate (17.9% acceptance rate in 2024). This places the University of Michigan in elite 'Ivy League' territory.
However, unlike many Ivy League schools, Michigan can add elite athletic programs to its resume as well. In the 22-23 season alone Michigan captured 13 Big Ten titles across all of its athletic teams. These facts are drawing the attention of an elite 2026 linebacker, Phillip Goodrich. The three-star prospect specifically talked about that draw, and how he believes the university would develop him as a player and person.
The 5-11, 205-pound linebacker attends the prestigious St. Thomas Aquinas school in Ft. Lauderdale (FL). He has a total of nine offers at this point in his recruitment, but recently indicated that Michigan is rising fast as a potential destination. His recruitment is just starting to warm up, and he hasn't released his top list just yet, but Michigan is heavily involved. He attended the game last year against Michigan State and left impressed with the atmosphere in the Big House. There's a long way to go in the building of the 2026 class, but Goodrich could certainly end up being part of that class in the coming months.
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