Michigan’s arch rival, Ohio State, currently owns one of the great wide receivers in college football in Jeremiah Smith. Michigan, on the other hand, is after that same talent. Donovan Peoples-Jones was probably the last great 5-star wide receiver recruit for them, but he failed to live up to his billing. As for Roman Wilson? The guy led the Michigan Wolverines to the 2023 national championship win, receiving 789 yards. But let’s be honest, he wasn’t on the elite level of Braylon Edwards, arguably the Wolverines’ greatest wide receiver. So, Michigan is now out to find its next Braylon Edwards, and for that? They are closing in on a world-class 5-star wide receiver.

The answer for their next best wide receiver recruit is right in front of them in Miami, Florida. Yes, we are talking about the generational prodigy Calvin Russell, who is already being touted to be a world-class wide receiver standing at 6’5″ and 195 lbs. A third-ranked prospect in the country in his position, Russell boasts a near 6’10” wingspan and has a massive upside when it comes to development. And guess what? Michigan is probably closing on him.

“Calvin Russell out of Miami Northwestern. Arguably has the highest ceiling out of any wide receiver this cycle. Doubles as an elite basketball recruit. I think that’s where Michigan has really kind of hit home with Calvin Russell. He’s a guy who really wants to play both sports at the next level. And some schools have kind of diminished that a little. And Calvin Russell has told those schools to go kick rocks. Michigan is not. They’re giving them the opportunity to play both,” said EJ Holland in his July 2nd Episode of ‘The Wolverine’. As for his basketball talent, the guy is a beast in that, too.

Russell, being an 11th grader, led his Northwestern High to a 20-3 record in the regular season, winning district and GMAC titles. Moreover, in the quarterfinals, the guy has 38 points, 19 rebounds, and 2 steals, delivering an MVP performance. Even before his 11th-grade season, Russell was delivering in the court, averaging 21 points per game with 7 rebounds per game along with 3.2 steals per game. But apart from being a talented basketball player, his mother was a hall of fame inductee for Miami, and that also plays a part in his desire to play both games. And while the Michigan Wolverines might be closing in, there’s another ACC school that is pursuing him heavily.

“The school that still concerns me the most is Syracuse. They were not in that unofficial top three, but I have reason to believe they are still very, very much a threat in this recruitment. And normally, you know, Syracuse, haha. But I think that Syracuse has done a great job of selling him on both football and basketball. Even though they’re not an NIL school by any means, they are willing to invest a lot into this recruitment,” said EJ Holland. And Fran Brown is truly quite serious about recruiting him.

Syracuse has a rich legacy in basketball, being considered one of the most reputable names in the country. The program boasts 3 national titles and 1 NCAA tournament. Although in recent years the program’s performance has been mixed but they still carry that reputation and prestige under Adrian Autry. Now add to that, Fran Brown’s last season, where his team finished with 10 wins and produced one of the best QBs in the ACC last year, Kyler McCord? Syracuse seems like a decent contender to land him now, right? But what does Russell himself have to say about the multiple interest?

Calvin Russell opens up about his interest in him and narrows down programs, including Michigan

On May 29th, Russell narrowed down his programs to just 8 names, which had multiple colleges, including Syracuse and the Michigan Wolverines. The other colleges in his list were Miami, Oregon, LSU, Florida State, Florida, and North Carolina. UNC was probably there because of their basketball team and Bill Belichick’s arrival, and Miami was there because of his mother’s (Chanivia Broussard) legacy with their basketball program. However, he doesn’t feel the pressure of all these things and is out to make an independent decision.

“I don’t feel that because to be honest, I’m not entitled to be nowhere, it’s about where my head’s at and where I’m most comfortable,” Russell said when asked if his mom’s legacy makes him want to join Miami. As for what he desires the most in the program, would he commit? “Being comfortable and knowing what I’m there for. Not too many distractions,” said Russell.

As for the Michigan Wolverines, the battle is quite intense in landing him, as Russell has made several official visits recently and will make his final decision on July 5th. For now, Michigan needs to buckle up and make that last-ditch Hail Mary attempt to recruit him. Because Fran Brown has made Russell a “top priority” as per reports after the loss of their star wide receiver, Messiah Hampton.