Michigan’s four recent commitments build on an established foundation

Michigan is the defending national champion and has done so by playing solid, fundamental football on both sides of the ball. On offense, Michigan has overwhelmed opponents with a dominant offensive line, a highly efficient running game and a quarterback like JJ McCarthy who, despite his world-class talent, did exactly what was asked of him.

That’s why it’s no surprise that Sherrone Moore and Co. have recently received commitments from a talented, team-oriented quarterback, a duo of hard-working, all-out running backs and a mean center back. It’s almost as if the culture and pathways to success in Ann Arbor have attracted the very types of players that have led to the high-level wins in the first place.

Granted, Hart is a 2026 prospect, but he has obviously been paying attention. Michigan has landed a similar signal-caller type in the class of 2025, at least in terms of mental makeup, namely the Florida native Carter Smithand although McCarthy was a somewhat bigger name in terms of profile than Smith and Hart, he was always portrayed as a worker, a born leader and a humble collaborator. Smith and Hart seem to fit that mold perfectly.

Parker might as well be Hassan Haskins 2.0. They have a similar build and style of play and are pretty similar in terms of their prep path as well. Neither would be considered elite in terms of their recruiting profile, yet both come from areas that play solid high school football. The body is college-ready and the production is solid as well. Haskins will always be a legend as a five-touchdown scorer in Michigan’s massive win over Ohio State in 2022, and Parker looks and feels like another running back who will outperform his recruiting rating in Ann Arbor.

Johnson is a little more well-known as a prospect within the IMG Academy family, but is coming off a knee injury that cost him his entire junior season. Originally from Georgia, he has a near-premium combination of size and speed at 6’1″ and 200 pounds and could be a real workhorse at Michigan. His high school career had some ups and downs due to injuries, and his drive and work ethic will be tested after such a major setback, but he could develop and flourish in Ann Arbor just like Blake Corum did.

Honestly, if you look at any of Michigan’s recent offensive linemen, you’ll see a pretty consistent overall development. Not many, if any, of them were considered top-tier, blue chip, five-star guys, but almost all of them had solid options beyond UM. Most were pretty solid as high school prospects, but they really settled in, developed and gelled at Michigan. Now, most are considered current or future pros, which earned them consecutive Joe Moore Awards in 2022 and 2023. Strayhorn seems to be the same guy. He’s very solid, plays at IMG, but not the absolute best in his class. He learns from the best, follows some of the best, and understands Michigan’s tradition when it comes to the offensive line. It also doesn’t hurt that the former O-line coach responsible for those awards is now the head coach.