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Michigan football misses out on top-50 recruit who commits to Texas Longhorns

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 6:40 PM ET

It was a good day for Michigan football on the recruiting trail. The Wolverines beat out Penn State, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech for four-star WR Travis Johnson on Friday. But it had a chance to be an even better day.

The Wolverines were finalists for both five-star OT Felix Ojo and four-star OL John Turntine. Ojo shocked the world by committing to Texas Tech, and Turntine did what most people thought he was going to do: stay home and play for Texas.

The Fort Worth (TX) North Crowley four-star picked the Longhorns over the Wolverines, Texas A&M, and Stanford.

'I ain't never been an out of state kid," Turntine said.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 IOL John Turntine III has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @rivals

The No. 2 IOL in the ’26 Class chose the Longhorns over Michigan, Texas A&M, & Stanford

“I ain’t never been an out of state kid.”https://t.co/aCU9745Qf0 pic.twitter.com/5o8oVko2ow
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 4, 2025

The 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman is the nation's 36th player and the No. 3 IOL, per the Composite. Turntine took trips to Ann Arbor, and Michigan was in the running for him until the very end. But it was going to be hard for anyone to pull Turntine out of the Lone Star State, and after Texas lost Ojo to Texas Tech, the Longhorns weren't going to lose another lineman.

Michigan currently has three offensive linemen committed in the 2026 cycle. The Wolverines have Malakai Lee, Bear McWhorter, and Marky Walbridge, but Michigan will continue to search the '26 class for more potential linemen.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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