If visits decided recruiting, Michigan would already have Donald Tabron II. The 5-star QB from Detroit’s Cass Tech has been to Ann Arbor 15 times, more than double any other school. Cass Tech has long fed talent to the Wolverines, and Tabron grew up rooting for Michigan. Yet the loudest buzz now points elsewhere.

Instead of Michigan, the strongest momentum is now behind Texas A&M. Rivals analysts Sam Spiegelman and Steve Wiltfong each project Texas A&M as the most likely landing spot for Tabron, even though he has spent so much time around Michigan. Their latest projection gives the SEC powerhouse about a 91% chance of winning the race.

Ohio State might want to keep tabs on the recent developments, too. Ohio State has identified Tabron as a key quarterback target for the 2028 class. They’ve hosted him four times already, trailing only Michigan (15), Penn State (six) and Michigan State (four) among his visits. Notre Dame and Maryland have each welcomed him three times.

Ohio State hasn’t had the hometown advantage, but it has stayed firmly in the conversation despite recruiting a QB from deep inside Wolverine territory. Still, growing up in Michigan doesn’t guarantee staying there. That’s something Donald Tabron has been honest about. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound passer said his early football life naturally centered on the programs nearest to Detroit.

Tabron said his childhood fandom was shaped by what he saw on TV and around Detroit.

“Really just the Michigan teams,” he said. “Growing up in Michigan, you watched them, and you know people who’ve gone to Michigan, Michigan State. You’re always just rooting for them, but at the end of the day, whatever fits best for me.”

Because although sentiment matters, fit matters more. The same attitude applies to Ohio State. Trips to Columbus have not made him universally popular back home, given the rivalry and Cass Tech’s strong ties to both Michigan and Ohio State.

“It’s mixed feelings,” he said, as he described the reaction from teammates and alumni as split. “There was a bunch of guys from my school at Cass Tech who came to Ohio State. There was a bunch of guys from Cass went to ‘School Up North.’ So it’s mixed feelings, but at the end of the day it’s whatever works best for me, whatever fits best for me.”

His words point to a decision based more on fit than on geography. And going from speculation to reality, the numbers back up why every powerhouse wants him.

Ohio State still has a shot, but it has ground to make up

Donald Tabron’s sophomore season made it clear that he’s one of the brightest young QBs in the country. As a sophomore at Cass Tech, he threw for 2,800 yards and 35 touchdowns over the season. That production has him listed as the No. 29 player nationally in the 2028 class, the No. 3 quarterback, and the No. 3 prospect in Michigan, per On3’s industry rankings. He also got a firsthand taste of college football’s biggest rivalry last November when he attended Michigan’s showdown with Ohio State in Ann Arbor.

“It’s… ridiculous,” he said. “I would say just seeing it from afar, being able to watch it on TV as a kid and then being at the game, watching it in person, is completely different.” For him, that trip clarified how much both fan bases care. “It just gives you perspective of how intense the rivalry is and how much both sides want it.”

The irony is that the recruit who has seen this rivalry up close may end up outside it entirely. For Michigan, losing a player who has visited campus 15 times would be a painful recruiting miss. For Ohio State, watching an elite QB head to the SEC wouldn’t be much better. Ohio State is still in the hunt, but the current momentum leans toward Texas A&M.