There once was a time when a “gentleman’s agreement” existed within the Big Ten, when the football programs within the conference would back off high school prospects once they had committed to a school within the league.
That gentlemam’s agreement no longer exists today.
Last Thursday, Michigan offered three-star Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford, the No. 2 player from the state of Indiana in the 2026 recruiting class. The Wolverines offer comes just under two months after Guilford committed to Penn State back on Dec. 6.
According to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, Guilford is considered the No. 534 overall prospect and No. 79 wide receiver in his class. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder has received over 20 scholarship offers from FBS programs, and would provide the Wolverines with a tall, lengthy targer in the passing game if they were able to flip him from Penn State.
Michigan currently has one wide receiver committed to its 2026 class in three-star Dallas (Texas) Parish Episcopal pass-catcher Jaylen Pile. The Wolverines have also expressed interest in five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., four-star Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith wide out Travis Johnson, and Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech athlete CJ Sadler at the position, among others.
As Michigan moves towards a more explosive approach to its passing attack under first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, look for the Wolverines to aim higher to add more dynamic, downfield receiving threats in the coming recruiting cycles.
