Wolverines beat Buckeyes on the trail in key area

The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State goes way beyond the field on a fall Saturday. Former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said the rivalry isn’t a flash in the pan, but a way of life. I think that’s probably one of the few things Michigan fans would agree with Meyer on, which is why both sides rarely miss an opportunity to attack each other.

On3 Recruits’ latest list is sure to provide Maize and Blue loyalists with more trash-talking ammunition, as the Wolverines currently rank ahead of the Buckeyes in terms of the highest percentage of blue-chip commitments in the 2025 cycle, according to the recruiting agency.

Ohio State currently ranks first in the overall recruiting rankings according to On3, but the Buckeyes also have 23 commitments for their class of 2025. Michigan currently ranks 11th nationally, but has eight fewer commitments (15) at this point in the cycle. When it comes to Michigan’s current lead over Ohio State, the motto is: Qualitynot Crowd.

Here’s how On3 broke down both programs:

Michigan – 80%

0 five-stars | 12 four-stars | 3 three-stars | 15 commits in total

Top newcomer: Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick four-star DL Nate Marshall, No. 54 NATL. (No. 5 DL).

Nate Marshall, a four-star defensive lineman from Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick, has headlined the defending champions’ class since signing in April.

Four-star safety Ivan Taylor of Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange transferred to Michigan from Notre Dame earlier this week. They are joined in the top 150 by four-star tight end Andrew Olesh of Southern Lehigh of Center Valley (Pennsylvania) and four-star safety Kainoa Winston of Gonzaga of Montgomery Village (Maryland).

Four-star quarterback Carter Smith of Fort Myers, Florida, Bishop Verot is the playmaker for the class and committed to UofM last November.

Ohio State 78.26%

3 five-stars | 15 four-stars | 5 three-stars | 23 commits in total
Top Newcomer: Houston North Shore Five-Star Plus+ CB Devin Sanchez, No. 4 NATL. (No. 1 CB).

As the 2025 cycle begins, defensive coordinator Knowles and his staff have a lot to work with. Of OSU’s 23 commitments, 12 are on that side of the ball and five are in the secondary. Ohio State has commitments from two of the top cornerback recruits in the country — five-star plus+ CBs Na’eem Offord and Devin Sanchez. Their class also includes elite linebacker Riley Pettijohn, four-star safety Faheem Delane, four-star EDGE Zahir Mathis, four-star EDGE London Merritt, four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford, four-star cornerback DeShawn Stewart, standout in-state linebacker Eli Lee and up-and-coming safety Cody Haddad from the Cleveland area..

On offense, OSU has already signed its quarterback of the class, elite passer Tavien St. Clair. He will be joined by players like four-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe from Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer, four-star tight end Nate Roberts, four-star wide receiver Quincy Porter and four-star WR De’zie Jones.

In early June, the Buckeyes struck again on offense with four-star athlete Bo Jackson, who is expected to play running back at the next level, and elite wide receiver Quincy Porter.

This is likely devastating news for Buckeyes fans who thought Michigan recruiting was over and the reigning national champions would be knocked off in 2024. The truth, however, is that Michigan’s football program is still very much alive and well, and the Wolverines aren’t going away anytime soon.

– For more coverage of the Michigan Wolverines, visit Michigan Wolverines On SI –

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