Michigan needed some good news, and the Wolverines got a shot of it Monday night with a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola, the No. 21 player in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2025.
Babalola, who attends Blue Valley Northwest in Overland Park, Kan., committed to Michigan over Stanford, Oklahoma, Missouri and Auburn. Babalola is the highest-rated offensive line prospect to commit to Michigan during the era of 247 rankings and immediately becomes the headliner of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 14 nationally and No. 4 in the Big Ten.
BREAKING: Five-Star OT Andrew Babalola has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @On3Recruits
The 6’6 300 OT from Overland Park, KS chose the Wolverines over Stanford, Auburn, Oklahoma, & Mizzou
Ranked as the No. 11 Recruit in the ‘25 Class (per On3)https://t.co/K3wRrqtGNA pic.twitter.com/Znbjeh3S1E
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 22, 2024
Babalola was by far the biggest target left on the board for the Wolverines, who have 17 commitments. In June, he said development, culture and overall fit were going to be the biggest factors in his decision.
“(Whoever gets me), they’re getting a player who just puts his head down and works,” he said. “I know where I’m at right now. Obviously, I’m nowhere near a finished product. They’re getting a guy who’s gonna work and who’s gonna be coachable and ready to develop.”
What Babalola’s commitment means
Landing a five-star recruit amid a 4-3 start is a major morale booster for Michigan. It’s significant that the biggest commitment of Sherrone Moore’s tenure as the head coach comes on the offensive line, a position that has been Michigan’s strength but also a source of concern this year.
Babalola might not be as college-ready as some other prospects in his class, but he has unlimited potential and all the tools to be a great left tackle in the Big Ten. As good as Michigan’s offensive lines have been of late, the Wolverines haven’t churned out a lot of NFL tackles. Michigan has made do with tackles who didn’t have the prototypical size for the position, but Babalola looks the part and gives Michigan a player to build around as it assembles the next wave of offensive line talent.
Michigan’s offensive line could be a couple of years away from getting good again. The Wolverines had some misfires in recruiting and development that showed up this season, but they signed five offensive linemen in the 2024 class and have commitments from three promising players for 2025 in Babalola, Avery Gach and Kaden Strayhorn. That’s an impressive haul for Moore and first-year offensive line coach Grant Newsome.
The results on the field haven’t been inspiring this year, and Michigan has work to do to get its roster back to a championship level. After a slow start, Moore’s first recruiting class has picked up steam with commitments from Babalola, defensive back Ivan Taylor, wide receiver Andrew Marsh and tight end Andrew Olesh, all top-100 prospects. Landing a blue-chip offensive line prospect amid a challenging season should help Michigan fans feel a bit better about the future.
(Photo: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)
