Kyle Whittingham's Michigan at Risk of Losing In-State WR to Big Ten Rival

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Dakota Guerrant, the standout 5-star prospect from Harper Woods, Michigan, is one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the class of 2027. With him expressing a desire to stay home, in-state Michigan has been looking to get the crown jewel to Ann Arbor. However, Kyle Whittingham’s program seems to be losing the race to land him to a Big 10 rival.

“Well, this young man’s at the top of their board regardless of position,” Rivals‘ Steve Wiltfong reported on Rivals. “Dakota Guerrant, out of Michigan, No. 1 ranked player in his state, No. 8 receiver in the land. [He] has spent a lot of time around Oregon, including a return trip this spring, and the Ducks continue to lead on the Rivals prediction machine, including my forecast.”

“But Michigan, Kylie Allen has been reporting, is making this very interesting down the stretch as they hit the full-court press under Kyle Whittingham and the new staff. But Oregon has prioritized him early, gotten him out to campus a bunch. Coach Douglas, Coach Lanning, Coach Merringer, and company have him very excited about a potential future playing inside Autzen Stadium.”

Being one of the nation’s top prospects, Dakota Guerrant had offers from about 50 programs. At the moment, both Michigan and Oregon are in strong positions to land the talent who caught 55 passes for 1,074 yards and 26 touchdowns in his junior season.

The Ducks seem to be his favorite program, with over six visits already. Interestingly, his last visit to Eugene had many positives. He visited the Ducks with his family, which was an indication of how much the program means to him. But the same family connection is there at the Wolverines as well. His cousin, Jacob Oden, is already on the Michigan roster. More importantly, the Wolverines have been recruiting him since Sherrone Moore took over the reins. Then comes the proximity question.

The distance between Harper Woods and Eugene is about a 37-hour drive by road, while flying might involve a layover, making the trip between eight and ten hours. It is a distance that prospects would even consider twice before going alone, let alone with their relatives.

On the other hand, the Wolverines obviously have the advantage of proximity, but that is not all with them. Guerrant’s camp will also monitor how the offense shapes up under Whittingham.