The Michigan Wolverines are rolling out some prominent guests for their in-state rivalry showdown against Michigan State. Which earns them and coach Kyle Whittingham a chance to clinch bowl eligibility. But a notable 6-foot-6 flip target is heading to Ann Arbor for Saturday’s showdown.
And one recruiting insider believes Whittingham and his staff will complete the flip.
Who Michigan is Called to Swoop up
Recruiting insider for On3/Rivals Allen Trieu revealed the offensive tackle prospect visiting the “Big House” for the showdown: Braden Chaffin, who’s currently verbally committed to Stanford.
But Trieu outlined why he likes Michigan’s chances here.
“Rivals was told right after the offer came that Chaffin had a lot of loyalty to the Cardinal. He really likes their staff, the opportunity they were giving him and their academics. While that all remains true, we believe the opportunity to play closer to home for a school he grew up watching will be too much to pass up and Chaffin will end up as a member of Michigan‘s class,” Trieu wrote.
Michigan Lands Prominent Local Recruit if Move Becomes Complete
So Chaffin is a three-star prospect and not exactly the biggest household name on the recruiting trail. However, his mixture of towering height and rapid fire feet with his blocking makes him a hard-to-miss prospect.
He stars for Adlai Stevenson High in Sterling Heights, Michigan and owns 17 reported offers. Michigan isn’t the only one hailing from the Big Ten that offered him. Minnesota extended its own scholarship to him during the offseason. Same with Northwestern and UCLA, the latter entering the first weekend of November as the only unbeaten left in the conference.
Stanford faced ACC competition too for Chaffin, as Louisville made its own run at him. Yet he chose the new Cardinal regime led by coach Tavita Pritchard back in June 2026. Chaffin’s commitment to Stanford stretched five months now.
Still, all verbal commits don’t become official members of the university until they sign their letter of intent come December. Hence why the Wolverines have the luxury of making a run at unsigned players on the recruiting trail, especially for the current recruiting cycle.
Recruiting Target Faced High School Setback
Chaffin’s journey as a prep recruit hasn’t come easy. Trieu wrote that Chaffin impressed during the camp circuit and fielded some early offers. However, he lost one season of eligibility as Trieu explained.
“He transferred from University of Detroit Jesuit to Stevenson and had to sit out his junior season,” Trieu added. “That hampered his recruitment, but he came back as a senior and put together a good film, which helped lead to this Michigan offer. He has a big 6-foot-6, 290-pound frame and most likely projects as a college right tackle.”
He brings the frame and athleticism of a traditional UM offensive lineman. Whittingham should love his athleticism in the trenches too. So this is a new potential flip to monitor among Wolverines fans as the team aims to add its 23rd verbal commit before December’s early signing period.
Michigan Called to Pull Off Major Flip of Massive 6-foot-6 Offensive Talent