New Palestine Dragons Waynee Estes (25) attempts to tackle IMG Academy Ascenders Jayden Wade (7) as he runs the ball Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, during the first half of a game at New Palestine High School in New Palestine, Ind. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co Jamie Terbrack Thu, October 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Welcome to the Recruiting Roundup, our twice-per-week series breaking down the latest developments on the recruiting trail for the Michigan Wolverines. We'll keep you up to date on the top targets, the visits they take, the predictions that analysts make, and everything in between. Here's what you need to know today…
Michigan is getting another crack at one of the nation's best quarterbacks this weekend, but flipping him away from Georgia won't be easy. According to Steve Wiltfong of Rivals , 2028 five-star quarterback Jayden Wade will visit Ann Arbor for Michigan's matchup with No. 6 Indiana on Saturday.
The IMG Academy standout is the No. 1 quarterback and No. 6 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Rankings. He's been committed to Georgia for nearly a year, but Michigan has continued making him a priority. Wade's advisor, Mike Evans, told Wiltfong that Michigan's coaching staff has a relationship with Wade dating back to the coaches' time at Utah.
"The coaches there were at Utah and they offered him when he was younger," Evans said. "That sticks out a lot."
Still, the Bulldogs aren't going away anytime soon, as Wade said that Wade is still "locked in with Georgia" barring anything "traumatic."
Michigan is also working to get 2028 five-star offensive tackle Antijuan Wilkes Jr. back to campus for a third visit this fall, while 2028 four-star safety LaMarcus Army is expected to attend Saturday's game. Four-star running back Xander Edwards was also a potential visitor, but the noon kickoff will prevent him from making the trip.
Michigan added one of the more interesting stories in the 2027 recruiting class this week, flipping three-star wide receiver Yuto Kawamura-Johnson from Toledo.
The Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange standout has taken quite the journey to reach this point. Born in New Orleans, Kawamura-Johnson moved to Japan in fifth grade and spent much of his childhood playing basketball. He didn't seriously pursue football until he was 15, eventually representing Japan on its U15 and U17 national flag football teams.
In Aug. 2025, he moved to Florida, leaving his family behind to chase his football dreams.
"Of course I love football. I left Japan and my family to come play football," Kawamura-Johnson told Zach Blostein with 247Sports . "But the reason why I play football is to inspire other people."
After catching 50 passes for 766 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior, he committed to Toledo in June. But his senior season brought more attention, with 575 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on just 24 catches, according to MaxPreps. That eventually led to a Michigan offer during his visit for the Penn State game last week.
"It was my mom's first time being on any type of college visit with me and to ever be in that atmosphere with me," he said.
A few days later, he flipped his commitment to the Wolverines. For Kawamura-Johnson, the opportunity is about much more than football.
"I want to inspire people, and that's my why," he said.
Michigan isn't slowing down its pursuit of quarterbacks in the 2028 class, and another talented prospect is quickly becoming a name to watch. According to Ethan McDowell of Rivals , four-star quarterback Levi Kerr has Michigan near the top of his list after visiting Ann Arbor for the Penn State game.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound passer from Waxhaw (N.C.) Marvin Ridge is the No. 102 overall prospect and No. 11 quarterback in the Rivals Industry Rankings. Michigan only began contacting Kerr about two weeks before his visit, but things have moved quickly.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham personally extended an offer during a meeting with Kerr and his family, while quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. has been building a relationship with the rising prospect.
"I wanted to get up there and explore that opportunity, and they jumped really high on the board," Kerr told McDowell. "I really like Michigan."
Kerr spent nearly 11 hours on campus, meeting coaches, touring facilities and taking in Michigan's win over Penn State. The visit clearly made an impression.
"I know Michigan's super high up there, for sure," Kerr said.
Kerr also holds offers from North Carolina, NC State and Mississippi State. He hopes to return to Ann Arbor for another game this season before making a commitment sometime between December and February.
With Wade visiting this weekend and Kerr emerging as another serious target, Michigan is putting plenty of work into finding its quarterback of the future.
Source: Sports
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