Michigan's coaching staff has been active on the recruiting trail over the past two-plus weeks, making in-home visits with high school prospect across the country.
In a recent trip down to Tennessee, U-M defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan met with four-star Chattanooga (Tenn.) McCallie cornerback Chaston Smith, who committed to Notre Dame just two months ago on Dec. 1. It's a clear sign that Smith's verbal pledge to the Fighting Irish has done nothing to quell the Wolverines' pursuit of the four-star.
Michigan made an in-home visit with On300 CB Chaston Smith (@chastonsmith_4), who is currently committed to Notre Dame. The Wolverines are already working on a flip #GoBlue. https://t.co/RgASWbA8EU pic.twitter.com/TLQdThlAHg
— "EJ Holland" (@EJHollandOn3) January 30, 2025
According to On3's Industry Ranking, Smith is considered the No. 258 overall prospect, No. 16 cornerback and No. 7 player from the state of Tennessee in the 2026 recruiting class. However, if his offer sheet is any indication, Smith may be undervalued by the recruiting services. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder has drawn scholarship offers from a whopping 35 FBS programs, with the likes of Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and others all throwing their hats in the ring, in addition to Michigan and Notre Dame.
Smith won't be an easy flip for Morgan and the Wolverines. The four-star initially committed to Notre Dame amongst a top group that also included Clemson, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Indiana, and the Fighting Irish will assuredly fight to keep Smith in their class over the next several months of the 2026 cycle.
Michigan currently has two prospects committed to its 2026 class in four-star defensive back Brody Jennings and three-star wide receiver Jaylen Pile. The Wolverines' class sits at No. 39 in the country and ranks 13th out of 18 Big Ten schools in the very early-goings of the cycle.
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