What Andrew Babalola's commitment to Michigan football means

Michigan's football program provided fireworks on Monday, securing a commitment from Blue Valley Northwest 2025 five-star offensive lineman Andrew Babalola of Overland Park, Canada.

Here's what his verbal promise means for the Wolverines:

– Michigan struggled to attract top-tier talent in the Name, Image, Likeness era, but prevailed over Babalola, the No. 21 overall pick nationally this cycle according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, and ended up beating more than 30 others through programs that offered him a scholarship. These include fellow finalists Auburn, Missouri, Oklahoma and Stanford.

“It ended up being right for Michigan,” Babalola told 247Sports. “Overall it had a family feel and I was fortunate to have a lot of great options and schools to choose from, but at Michigan it came down to the family feel and knowing that I would be mentored by academics off the field .” then on the field, the development. All of this gave me confidence that Michigan was the right place for me.”

– The Wolverines never seemed like the clear leader for Babalola. Stanford initially appeared to have the edge based on academics, but Oklahoma and Missouri also made strong progress and are closer to home. Auburn is now heavily involved in NIL. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound man took official visits to all of his graduating schools during the spring and summer and continued to consider his option into the fall.

“It was really, really difficult,” he said. “I thought I would take the route that most recruits take, which is to take official visits and then decide at the end of June or sometime in July, but ultimately that didn't happen. I just took time with the family and sat down and looked at what I wanted, and that came to mind recently, but it was really hard.”

— Babalola becomes the first five-star player since Will Johnson to immediately headline Michigan's class of 2022, giving the Wolverines a leg up in the national rankings. They now rank 14th overall and have 17 commits, but are 9th in average rating per commit. After winning just one top 100 contender in the last two cycles, they currently have four in the class 2025: Safety Ivan Taylor (No. 58), receiver Andrew Marsh (No. 62) and tight end Andrew Olesh (No. 77). Michigan's on-field performance took a step backwards in 2024, but it has made rapid strides in recruiting under Sherrone Moore.

– Speaking of Moore, it helps that he's from Kansas and is a former offensive line coach at Michigan. He and first-year offensive line coach Grant Newsome led Babalola's recruiting and helped close the deal. They both attended Babalola's game during Michigan's bye week.

“What was special about them overall was their personalities and how much they love Michigan,” Babalola said. “They are Michigan men through and through. They obviously had a tough season and there was a lot of criticism, but I believe in them and I believe in their plan and their vision for Michigan. I wouldn’t have committed if I didn’t believe in them and they didn’t believe in me.”

– Despite his high ranking, Babalola may need some time to develop after arriving in Ann Arbor. He has all the tools to be a future pivot down the line, but he has also only been playing football for two years.

“An extremely talented offensive tackle prospect who is relatively new to the game and has virtually unlimited long-term potential,” 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote in his scouting report. “As a senior, he shows significantly more conviction when it comes to block completion. Excellent physical measurements. Slim with plenty of space in the frame, although perhaps a little narrower than originally perceived in the live review. A natural bender who plays with a wide base in pass defense where he is able to consistently and effectively anchor against strength. Originally a basketball player, his functional athleticism in pads reflects that background. Logged valuable two-way snaps back in high school. He is still developing his hand placement technique and is able to use length to his advantage more consistently.”

(Highlights embedded with permission from Hudl)

– Babalola was born in West Bloomfield, so he had previous ties to Michigan. He becomes the third offensive linemen in the class, joining four-star Avery Gach from Birmingham Groves and three-star Kaden Strayhorn from IMG Academy of Bradenton (Florida).

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