Flip season is creeping up, and nobody’s playing the long game better right now than Michigan’s Sherrone Moore. After hovering outside the Top 50 for several weeks, Michigan found new life over the weekend. They’re jolting up the 2026 recruiting rankings with some pivotal moves. The headliner was Brady Smigiel, a towering 6-foot-5, 205-pound quarterback, who pulled the trigger and committed to the Wolverines. Rated the No. 8 quarterback nationally, Smigiel’s move amidst the QB1 battle in Ann Arbor makes the timing interesting. And while the fireworks started with Smigiel, behind the scenes, Moore was already working on another coup, disturbing the peace of Hugh Freeze.

It’s not hard to see why Michigan is flexing so confidently right now. The NFL Draft has been a relentless advertisement for the Wolverines’ player development factory. Michigan has produced at least one first-round pick in every single draft since 2019, an elite streak only a handful of programs can claim. And this year, 7 Michigan players were selected in the NFL Draft. Flip target Intel. Enter Shadarius Toodle. The Auburn linebacker commit has been quietly emerging as one of Michigan’s top flip targets.

According to On3, Toodle’s verbal pledge to Auburn has been “extremely soft,” and Moore and his staff have gone full-court press to exploit the opening. Toodle is a true SEC country kid, hailing from Alabama, but Michigan’s persistence is turning heads.

U-M LBs coach Brian Jean-Mary has spearheaded the push, traveling south to watch Toodle play basketball in the winter and later making a return trip to Mobile for an in-home visit with the family. The courtship hasn’t been one-sided either—Toodle and his entire family visited Ann Arbor this spring and were thoroughly impressed by what they saw.

The family connection is proving crucial. Toodle’s father, Shadrick, laid it out plainly: “Shadarius’ big thing is development,” he said. “That’s his focus. Michigan had 27 guys in the draft the last two years. That’s his ultimate goal. Michigan is at the top of the list in terms of Coach Moore and his staff getting players to the league. Michigan is a real player because of what my son wants to accomplish.” Those aren’t throwaway comments. In the high-stakes recruiting game, development is the ultimate currency, and Michigan is cashing in at the perfect time. Pulling a player out of Alabama is like prying gold from a locked vault, but Sherrone Moore, Jean-Mary, and the Wolverines are methodically chipping away at Auburn’s hold.

Relationships are often the secret sauce in recruitment battles, and Michigan has leaned heavily into it. Jean-Mary’s southern roots have created an authentic bridge to the Toodle family, while offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s Alabama high school coaching background adds another layer of trust. Lindsey’s old ties still run deep across the state, and that’s paying off big-time. It’s not just about facilities and draft stats—parents want to know their sons will be mentored by people who understand where they come from. Michigan has checked every box so far, turning what once seemed like a fantasy into a very real possibility.

Adding to the momentum, Michigan wasn’t done after Smigiel’s commitment. Later that same Saturday, the Wolverines landed three-star EDGE Tariq Boney, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound disruptor ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect from Washington, D.C., and the No. 81 EDGE nationally. Smigiel and Boney have turned what was shaping up to be a slow spring into a launchpad for the 2026 cycle. Combine that with Michigan’s legendary showing at this year’s draft, and it feels like the Wolverines are shifting into a higher gear.

Michigan’s sneaky first-round hope for 2026

Agreed—the Michigan Wolverines had three players go in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Over the past two years alone, they’ve pumped out a jaw-dropping 27 players into the league. That’s not just development; that’s pure assembly-line magic. But heading into next year? Things look a little different. In several “way-too-early” 2026 mock drafts, there are zero Michigan players projected to go in the first round. Shocking, right?

However, if you dig a little deeper, there’s still a glimmer of Maize and Blue hope. A couple of mocks do sneak one Wolverine into Round 1—and it might surprise some fans. Bleacher Report has Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill pegged to go No. 15 overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

While the Cowboys just spent a third-round pick on Shavon Revel Jr., there’s still some real concern in that secondary. Trevon Diggs missed most of 2023 with a torn ACL and had another setback. And DaRon Bland battled injuries in 2024 and heads into a contract year.

Enter Hill. According to NFL Draft Buzz, the Michigan standout offers Dallas a corner with outside experience who can also slide inside to nickel if needed. In 2024, Hill racked up 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception. Looks like from Round 1 glory to future hopefuls, the Wolverine pipeline might ebb and flow, but it rarely runs dry.