Stanford leads Michigan football ‘by an inch or two’ for 5-star offensive tackle

Michigan football has been aiming to land five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola for a while and even though the Wolverines have never been the favorite, they have done a good job of hanging around in this recruitment.

Babalola, who is 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, out of Kansas, has had an interesting recruitment. Sherrone Moore, the Michigan football head coach, is also from Kansas.

That was one connection for the Wolverines. Beyond that, the Wolverines have been selling Babalola on being part of “O-Line U.” Michigan has more offensive linemen in the NFL than any other college football team and they won back-to-back Joe Moore awards before winning the national title last season.

Kansas doesn’t produce a ton of five-star talent, but Babalola, who is ranked 26th overall in the 2025 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, has been recruited hardest by Stanford, Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Auburn.

Stanford has emerged as the leader though. The academic side of things has really been attractive to Babalola, which makes you wonder if Michigan, which has elite academics and an elite football program, would be able to land his commitment.

Michigan football is in the mix for 5-star offensive tackle

Babalola doesn’t have any crystal ball predictions yet and On3.com recruiting expert Chad Simmons said that Stanford led Michigan football “by an inch or two” in an interview on Tuesday with EJ Holland of The Wolverine. 

“Stanford with the academics, it speaks for itself,” Simmons said. “We do know Michigan, from a public school standpoint, is one of the best, if not the best in the country from an academic standpoint. Those two things really set them apart. Michigan, on the football side, is a better, consistent program with winning, competing for championships, and even developing players. Stanford does a good job of putting guys into the NFL. I think those two have the leg up on the others. Maybe Stanford by an inch or two over Michigan right now, but I don’t think he’s reached the end for a full final decision.”

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms.