In Florida, Whittingham and four fellow Wolverines visited Lake Nona High School to see 2027 3-star DB Charles Woodson Jr., the son of Michigan legend Charles Woodson. At 5’10.5″, 173 pounds, Woodson Jr. posted 73 tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a kick return TD as a junior, marking a meaningful jump from his sophomore year. On3 currently lists Michigan with a 99 percent chance to land him.
Woodson Jr. isn’t Michigan’s only target to receive this level of attention. On the West Coast, five Michigan coaches, led by Whittingham, visited Orange Lutheran High School to see 5-star DL Marcus Fakatou, a 6’6″, 275-pound lineman who has tallied 69 tackles and 17 tackles for loss as a sophomore. The No. 2 junior in California, Fakatou has more than 30 offers, and he echoed the priority message, saying, “They made sure I knew that I was their priority.”
The Wolverines aren’t limiting their approach to high-profile prospects. In-state 2027 athlete Bryce Kish, a Howell High School product and former teammate of current Wolverine DL Bobby Kanka, connected with Whittingham and Jay Hill during a visit. Michigan offered Kish and sees him as an edge-friendly LB who can apply pressure on quarterbacks, reinforcing the staff’s direct, hands-on evaluation style.
Michigan’s outreach also extended to West Coast targets beyond Woodson and Fakatou. Lewis Powell recently stopped by St. John Bosco to see 4-star safety Isala Aisa Wily-Ava, a top-250 national prospect with offers from Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, and Washington. Powell emphasized the family-first tone and vision for the player’s fit within Michigan’s defensive schemes. In addition, the program has offered 2027 athlete Peyton Higginson, a 6’3″ playmaker from Salem, further broadening the national footprint.
With the 2027 class still months from signing day, the pattern is clear: Whittingham is laying a foundation through deliberate, high-profile visits and family-oriented recruiting, signaling that Michigan’s scouting and relationships-building will be a defining feature of the program’s long-term vision. The approach reflects a proactive, nationwide footprint aimed at securing priority targets early in the cycle.
