Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Michigan to battle Ohio State, other top programs for former USC five-star commit

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Chris Breiler | Last updated May 15, 2025 4:20 PM ET

Although the 2026 recruiting class is off to a slow start, Michigan is reportedly in the hunt for arguably the top linebacker prospect in the nation. Earlier this week, five-star LB Xavier Griffin decommitted from USC, opening the door for some of the other top programs in the country to enter the battle.

On Wednesday, Steve Wiltfong of On3 reported that Michigan is one of the teams in contention.

Schools in the mix moving forward for Griffin will include Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee, Ohio State and Michigan. He was previously set to visit USC the weekend of June 20. Look for new dates to pop up on the itinerary.

However, things seem to have picked up quickly over the last 24 hours and it already appears that Griffin is trending away from Michigan. There's at least one crystal ball prediction in from 247Sports for Alabama to land the highly coveted five star. Making matters worse, Griffin has scheduled four visits over the next several weeks and Michigan isn't on the list yet.

NEWS: Five-Star LB Xavier Griffin has locked in 4 Official Visits

His schedule is as follows:

• Ohio State - May 30
• Alabama - June 6
• Texas - June 13
• Florida State - June 15

The No. 2 LB in the ‘26 Class decommitted from USC moments agohttps://t.co/lpmmbnDvOy pic.twitter.com/wfv44qvzhE
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 14, 2025

Of course, Michigan's ability to recruit during the month of May has become increasingly difficult with the reported self-imposed restrictions in place. Those restrictions are due to the ongoing sign-stealing saga that seems to never go away. The good news is that it appears the Michigan staff can get back to business as usual the week of May 19, which should hopefully lead to some good things happening on the recruiting trail.

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

More must-reads: