Michigan Football Recruiting Projected To Flip USC Commit

The 2023 season is nearing its end, and while Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines’ coaching staff continue to prep for No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl next month, they are still hard at work on the recruiting trail. Ahead of the season, Michigan football recruiting missed on one of its top targets: Pennsylvania defensive lineman Deyvid Palepale, a three-star in the class of 2024, who chose the USC Trojans instead. Today, however, things started to change for Michigan, with numerous insiders projecting that Palepale flip to U-M.

Michigan football recruiting expected to flip USC Trojans commit

The USC Trojans are coming to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, and while Jim Harbaugh and Lincoln Riley are not scheduled to face off right away, the two are already starting to compete for top national recruiting targets.

Deyvid Palepale has become a major target of interest for both USC and Michigan football, and even Penn State was in the running over the summer. USC initially won the race, though a 7-5 season (resulting in a Holiday Bowl berth) — as well as potential other outside factors — may have changed some things for the Trojan commit, who is now expected to land in Ann Arbor.

Top experts and insiders think Palepale will be a Wolverine

On Monday, some of the top insiders in college football recruiting at both On3 and 247 Sports (six new picks in total) placed predictions for Deyvid Palepale to flip from USC to Michigan. Among those expecting the 2024 defensive line target to flip are Steve Wiltfong and Brian Dohn, who are regarded as the best national recruiting analysts in the game.

Per the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, Palepale is a three-star prospect, ranking as the No. 83 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 20 player in the state of Pennsylvania. This is the second major target that Michigan football recruiting is expected to flip right now — the first is Boise State wide receiver commit Gatlin Bair, who was first projected to flip ahead of Michigan’s Big Ten title victory over No. 16 Iowa last weekend.

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