BREAKING: Nation’s No. 1 Recruit, Offensive Tackle Michael “Moose” Carroll, Flips Commitment to Michigan Wolverines
**ANN ARBOR, Mich.** – In a thunderous, program-affirming victory on the recruiting trail, the University of Michigan has secured a commitment from the most dominant offensive lineman in America. **Michael “Moose” Carroll**, the five-star tackle from Cleveland, Ohio, and the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, announced Thursday he has decommitted from the Ohio State Buckeyes and will instead sign with the Michigan Wolverines.
The announcement, made during a live broadcast from his high school, sent a seismic shockwave through the sport and instantly added a new chapter to college football’s greatest rivalry. Carroll, a 6-foot-7, 320-pound generational talent with rare mobility, overpowering strength, and a mean streak that defines the position, had been the crown jewel of Ohio State’s top-ranked recruiting class for nearly a year. His decision to flip to the Wolverines is the most significant recruiting victory of the **Sherrone Moore** era and a defining statement in the battle for Big Ten supremacy.
“This decision is about legacy, toughness, and becoming part of something bigger than myself,” Carroll stated, donning a maize and blue Michigan hat. “I have tremendous respect for Coach [Ryan] Day and Ohio State. But my relationship with Coach Moore, Coach [Grant] Newsome, and this entire staff is built on genuine trust and a shared vision. Michigan is about developing men, winning in the trenches, and competing for championships. That’s exactly what I want to be part of. I’m staying home to beat the best and become the best.”
This monumental flip is the ultimate validation of Sherrone Moore’s seamless transition to head coach and his ability to maintain Michigan’s physical identity. Following a national championship and a tradition of dominant offensive line play, Moore needed a signature recruiting victory to establish his own legacy. Landing a player of Carroll’s caliber—a can’t-miss prospect projected as a future All-American and top-five NFL Draft pick—achieves that in spectacular fashion. It proves that Michigan’s culture of toughness and development remains an irresistible force.
“This is an absolute earthquake in the Big Ten and a gut punch to Ohio State,” declared On3 National Recruiting Director Chad Simmons. “For Sherrone Moore to go into the Buckeyes’ backyard, into the heart of Ohio, and take the No. 1 player in America from Ryan Day is a statement of supreme confidence. It announces that Michigan’s recruiting power is not just intact—it’s growing. Carroll is the kind of foundational player you build championship offensive lines around.”
The move is deeply connected to Michigan’s legendary offensive line tradition and the development pipeline that has produced countless NFL first-round picks. The opportunity to anchor the line for a defending national champion, playing in front of 110,000 fans, and to do so against his home state’s rival every November proved to be an irresistible narrative.
The implications are immediate and staggering. Carroll’s commitment instantly solidifies Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class among the nation’s best and serves as a powerful magnet for other elite prospects. It provides a franchise left tackle to protect the blind side for years to come and sends a clear message that Michigan’s championship window remains wide open.
For Ohio State, the loss of its top commit and an in-state legend is a devastating, high-profile defeat. For Michigan, it is a transformative victory that bridges the program’s championship past to its ambitious future.
Michael “Moose” Carroll is more than an offensive lineman; he is a symbol of Michigan’s enduring dominance in the trenches and a declaration that under Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines are still the team to beat. In Ann Arbor, the message is clear: Those who stay will be champions. And the best player in America just decided to stay.
