For the third consecutive month, Kyle Whittingham’s recruiting efforts at Michigan have been undermined. The latest blow came from his very first commitment to the 2027 class.

Four-star safety Darrell Mattison, who committed to the Wolverines over a month ago, announced his decommitment on Tuesday, per Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. The 6-foot, 160-pounder just completed his junior season, where he had 47 tackles, five interceptions, three pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. He is the No. 340 overall prospect, No. 15 player in Illinois, and No. 31 safety in the 2027 recruiting class, according to Rivals Industry Ranking.

While he stated no reason for breaking his verbal agreement to the Wolverines, he has been drawing interest from several Big Ten schools and SEC schools. He has gotten offers from Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, and Illinois, with a heavy push from Ole Miss, after visiting Oxford earlier this month.

OMSpirit’s Zach Berry confirmed that the tides have favored Ole Miss since the turn of April, as the program has been on his radar even before his commitment to the Wolverines. He has also maintained contact with Golding and Co. since Lane Kiffin’s exit.

His decommitment means Whittingham has made no additions to the five commits he made at Ann Arbor. The 2027 class is also ranked No. 25 nationally. It may be too early to comment, but Whittingham’s 2027 class has fallen from 16th to 20th and now to 25th. Compared with previous seasons, the class is a far cry: the 2026 class ranked 11th, while the 2025 class ranked sixth nationally.

It has become a monthly trend for Whittingham after quarterback Peter Bourque decommitted in February, and IOL Tristan Dare followed suit in March. The pair became unsure of their roles in the program after GM Sean Magee and recruiting director Sam Popper departed.

Notwithstanding, the decommitments in the 2027 recruiting class are symptoms of a larger recruiting predicament the Wolverines have had to face since Whittingham’s arrival.

The transfer portal opened days after his arrival and saw over 19 players enter, with high-profile players also departing. These coincidences either indicate the miserable condition the program was in before his appointment or his inability to manage the program’s roster properly in such a short time. In four months since his appointment, the only memorable recruiting feat the 66-year-old has pulled has been convincing Bryce Underwood not to exit through the transfer portal.

But Whittingham has not particularly done well in recruiting, even during his days with the Utes. He has always been able to do more with less, but his recruiting classes have hardly stood out among other programs. His best recruiting ranking in the last five years has been No. 21, with the second-best at No. 36. In 2025, he finished with a 10-2 record despite a recruiting class that ranked No. 42 nationally.

However, his move to Ann Arbor is a different ballgame, and he must change the narrative and excel on the recruiting front as well.

Whittingham receives support from other Wolverines recruits

The 2027 class is left with three-star safety Maxwell Miles, three-star IOL Louis Esposito, three-star IOL Sidney Rouleau, and four-star edge Recarder Kitchen. Despite the exits of Bourque, Dare, and Mattison, there are other commits who have chosen to embrace a new life with Whittingham.

Louis Esposito, son of the defensive line coach, on the coaching change, said he was “excited to build a relationship and get started.” He cited Whittingham’s long history of developing great offensive linemen and building good programs.

Three-star OL Tommy Fraumann claimed he “can’t wait to get down on campus and meet Coach [Whittingham], what he has done at Utah has been amazing, and I am very impressed by his dedication to the team. He’s a very experienced coach who knows how to develop players. Go Blue.”

With the recruiting calendar heating up, Whittingham’s ability to stabilize the 2027 class will be the first major test of his tenure in Ann Arbor, proving whether his old-school approach can still succeed in the modern recruiting landscape.