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Michigan beats Ohio State in recruiting battle for Carter Meadows. Here's what it means
Carter Meadows won't need any introductions to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry.
Meadows, an edge rusher ranked No. 72 in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2026, committed to Michigan on Sunday after a heated recruiting battle between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Meadows has one of the highest ceilings of any defensive player in the 2026 class and is ranked as a top-10 prospect by On3. He visited Columbus and Ann Arbor on consecutive weekends in June, and both programs pushed hard to land his commitment.
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At 6 feet 6 and 225 pounds, Meadows has the tools to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. He's shown flashes of that potential at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., particularly when he can use his speed to beat blockers off the edge. Meadows uses his length to his advantage and has the quick-twitch explosiveness to be a dominant pass rusher as he develops the physical and technical aspects of his game.
IM HOME!!〽️#GoBlue
— Carter Meadows (@CarterMeadows_) June 29, 2025
Though Penn State and South Carolina were also in the mix, Meadows' recruitment was a Michigan-Ohio State battle all the way. Both programs were in the market for a high-end pass rusher to bolster their 2026 recruiting classes, which are shaping up as two of the best in the Big Ten. While Ohio State is rarely far from the top of the rankings, Michigan's class was ranked in the low 40s just a few weeks ago. With commitments from Meadows, offensive tackle Malakai Lee, defensive lineman Titan Davis and wide receiver Zion Robinson, Michigan is now in position to sign another top-10 class.
Michigan and Ohio State are also among the finalists for Savion Hiter, the top running back prospect in the 2026 class. Hiter visited both schools along with Georgia and Tennessee and has yet to set a commitment date.
Despite the buildup around the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, true head-to-head recruiting battles are relatively rare. Running back Jordan Marshall was an Ohio prospect who picked Michigan over the Buckeyes in the Class of 2024, and Michigan pushed hard for Ohio cornerback prospects Bryce West and Aaron Scott in the same class before they signed with the Buckeyes. Landing Meadows will go down as one Michigan's biggest recruiting wins against Ohio State in recent memory.
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Michigan recruited a notch or two below Ohio State for much of Jim Harbaugh's tenure and made its living with three- and four-star recruits who developed into NFL Draft picks. A notable big-picture development under coach Sherrone Moore is Michigan's ability to go toe-to-toe with programs like Ohio State, Alabama and LSU in recruiting. That started in the Class of 2025 when Michigan swung a blockbuster deal to land quarterback Bryce Underwood, and it's continued so far with the Class of 2026.
Michigan is known for putting edge rushers in the NFL, and Meadows has the ability to follow in the footsteps of Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Michigan is in the mix for a pair of top-50 prospects in Hiter and wide receiver Calvin Russell, but as of right now Meadows is the headliner of Michigan's class.
(Photo of Ryan Day and Sherrone Moore: Adam Cairns / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
