If there is anything to say about Michigan football in the present era, it’s that nothing ever seems dull. Sherrone Moore’s Wolverines have been on a wild off-season rollercoaster, swapping huge roster improvement for a splash of drama. Following a 2024 season in which Michigan’s offense struggled (the passing game ranked a brutal No. 130 among 133 FBS teams), Moore and his coaching staff did not wait long to reload. The headline getter? Signing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood away from LSU, a coup that rocked the recruiting landscape. Throw in seasoned transfer Mikey Keene from Fresno State, and all of a sudden, Michigan’s quarterback situation is a strength, not a weakness.

But just when things were going well, the specter of the 2023 sign-stealing scandal re-emerged. Moore will now face a two-game suspension for next season, missing games against Central Michigan and Nebraska, as part of Michigan’s self-imposed penalties. So, the Wolverines open strong against New Mexico and then Moore’s old-school Oklahoma, but they’ll have to do it while doing without their head coach for a couple of weeks. On the recruiting front, the spotlight now turns to how Moore and his staff follow up the 2025 splash with the 2026 class. That brings us directly to Matt Ludwig, a name that Michigan fans will hear more often.

Matt Ludwig, a four-star athlete from Montana, is drawing serious attention as a tight-end prospect in the 2026 class. He’s got offers from heavyweights like Georgia and Tennessee. Let’s be real, if you’re Sherrone Moore right now, you’re probably sweating just a little over Matt Ludwig’s recruitment. And who could blame him? Ludwig, the four-star tight end from Montana, is one of those breeds of prospects that Michigan football coaches constructed in a laboratory: huge, athletic, and as tough as nails. But here’s the twist: his official visit to Georgia is booked before he visits Ann Arbor.

Ludwig tells On3, “I love the intensity and how hard they work at Georgia. Kirby Smart runs a tight ship, and I love every part of it. When you go to be a Dog, you will come out a Dog and be a top guy in the NFL. At Georgia, I love what they produce.” Georgia is not any kind of suitor, either. The Bulldogs are the hip kids of college football these days, flashing those blinding national championship rings and essentially challenging top prospects to decline. Ludwig’s received bids from a veritable who’s who of big-time programs: Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, and, naturally, Michigan and Georgia.

Sherrone Moore’s likely refreshing Ludwig’s Instagram stories and monitoring flight trackers from Montana to Athens. Because if Ludwig is swept away by Georgia’s southern hospitality and those “we put tight ends in the NFL” sales pitches, Michigan may be left with the bag. Sure, Ann Arbor has its magic, Big House Saturdays, legendary tight-end tradition, and, let’s be real, much-improved winters if you prefer snow over humidity. However, recruiting specialists are speculating he’ll find himself in maize and blue.

Matt Ludwig’s top 6 contenders

Ludwig has all but whittled his future down to six schools now, and trust us, it’s a really interesting combination-like a college football tasting menu. The Montana tight end, who’s been making waves with his size, athleticism, and highlight-reel catches, has now narrowed his choices to Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Georgia.

Tennessee’s been talking big on the recruiting circuit of late, selling Ludwig on their fast-breaking offense and the opportunity to be a difference-maker in the SEC. And then there’s Texas A&M, which never encountered a blue-chip prospect they didn’t want to offer a bag of money to, and they’re selling Ludwig on being the next superstar in College Station. Texas Tech is the wild card, or maybe it’s the Air Raid heritage, or maybe being a destination in Lubbock, but they’re there, too.

Notre Dame? They’re Notre Dame. They have the heritage, Touchdown Jesus, and a tight-end feeder system that’s as real as it comes. Michigan, naturally, is all that “Tight End U” hype, where Ludwig gets an opportunity at Big House glory and a chance to walk in the footsteps of fellas like Colston Loveland. And, of course, there’s Georgia, the incumbent college football champs, where they can practically roll out the red carpet formed of NFL contracts for tight ends.

For Ludwig, it’s a win-win-win-win-win-win, but it also means he has the pressure to make the right decision. Every school has something special to offer, and you know each fan base is already dreaming of him in their colors. The visits, the recruitment pitches, the social media buzz—it’s all about to reach a whole new level, and Ludwig’s next decision is going to be a must-see for college football zealots.