Michigan Wolverines closing in on important defensive recruit after official visit and off-field victory over Big Ten rival

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 6:39 PM ET

Sherrone Moore has Michigan on the precipice of excellence with his 2026 recruiting class. The official visits are about wrapped up for the summer, and the Wolverines find themselves as finalists for a long list of recruits, but none perhaps more imminent than four star linebacker Kenneth Goodwin. Based on his recent actions and comments it seems now all but a formality that Michigan will be landing him as a crucial piece to their 2026 recruiting class.

Kenneth Goodwin, Four Star LB Recruit leaning towards Michigan after visit

Kenneth Goodwin debuted on most recruiting sites just over a year ago as a fringe four star talent, but once the offers continued to rain down and analysts got a closer look he leaped up most rankings boards. Goodwin is a bit undersized at off-ball linebacker (6'2", 205), but he makes up for it with elite athleticism and movement skills.

Goodwin had been trending towards Georgia for a while and visited with the Bulldogs earlier this month, but now he's made it clear that Michigan is in the lead. He was set to visit Oregon (one of his finalists) this upcoming weekend but Goodwin canceled that after visiting with Michigan this past week.

Immediately following his visit Goodwin had this to say about Michigan: "Michigan is at the top. I feel like I can fit in very well with the program and players."

Goodwin was scheduled to visit Oregon this weekend, but he is no longer taking that visit. https://t.co/lfwg7qfeLy
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) June 18, 2025

Michigan has made Goodwin a high priority for quite some time, visiting with him multiple times in the past several months. Now they've made sure that Wolverines are the final team to host Goodwin on an official visit this summer (since visits are wrapping up June 25).

Goodwin isn't the only linebacker target for Michigan, but he might be the most versatile defensive weapon on entire big board. The Wolverines are set to likely lose both veterans Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham after this upcoming season, so Goodwin may not be the only linebacker commit in the 2026 recruiting class if he does end up landing with Michigan.

Michigan will be returning young talents like freshman Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and incoming transfer Troy Bowles next year, but they'll certainly want to add significant depth to the position. Landing Goodwin could prove crucial in doing that. Hopefully Sherrone Moore and company have done enough to seal the deal here among the final few finalists.

We'll be back with more Michigan Wolverines coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to see some of the plays that have made Kenneth Goodwin one of the most talented players in the country just check out some of his highlights in the video below!

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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