Carter Meadows won’t need any introductions to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry.
Meadows, an edge rusher ranked No. 72 in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2026, committed to Michigan on Sunday after a heated recruiting battle between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Meadows has one of the highest ceilings of any defensive player in the 2026 class and is ranked as a top-10 prospect by On3. He visited Columbus and Ann Arbor on consecutive weekends in June, and both programs pushed hard to land his commitment.
Advertisement
At 6 feet 6 and 225 pounds, Meadows has the tools to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. He’s shown flashes of that potential at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., particularly when he can use his speed to beat blockers off the edge. Meadows uses his length to his advantage and has the quick-twitch explosiveness to be a dominant pass rusher as he develops the physical and technical aspects of his game.
IM HOME!!〽️#GoBlue https://t.co/yEc4jmDNGQ
— Carter Meadows (@CarterMeadows_) June 29, 2025
Though Penn State and South Carolina were also in the mix, Meadows’ recruitment was a Michigan-Ohio State battle all the way. Both programs were in the market for a high-end pass rusher to bolster their 2026 recruiting classes, which are shaping up as two of the best in the Big Ten. While Ohio State is rarely far from the top of the rankings, Michigan’s class was ranked in the low 40s just a few weeks ago. With commitments from Meadows, offensive tackle Malakai Lee, defensive lineman Titan Davis and wide receiver Zion Robinson, Michigan is now in position to sign another top-10 class.
Michigan and Ohio State are also among the finalists for Savion Hiter, the top running back prospect in the 2026 class. Hiter visited both schools along with Georgia and Tennessee and has yet to set a commitment date.
How big of a win is this for Michigan?
Despite the buildup around the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, true head-to-head recruiting battles are relatively rare. Running back Jordan Marshall was an Ohio prospect who picked Michigan over the Buckeyes in the Class of 2024, and Michigan pushed hard for Ohio cornerback prospects Bryce West and Aaron Scott in the same class before they signed with the Buckeyes. Landing Meadows will go down as one Michigan’s biggest recruiting wins against Ohio State in recent memory.
Advertisement
Michigan recruited a notch or two below Ohio State for much of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure and made its living with three- and four-star recruits who developed into NFL Draft picks. A notable big-picture development under coach Sherrone Moore is Michigan’s ability to go toe-to-toe with programs like Ohio State, Alabama and LSU in recruiting. That started in the Class of 2025 when Michigan swung a blockbuster deal to land quarterback Bryce Underwood, and it’s continued so far with the Class of 2026.
Michigan is known for putting edge rushers in the NFL, and Meadows has the ability to follow in the footsteps of Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Michigan is in the mix for a pair of top-50 prospects in Hiter and wide receiver Calvin Russell, but as of now Meadows is the headliner of Michigan’s class. — Austin Meek, Michigan beat writer
What it means for Ohio State
Losing a high-profile recruiting battle always leaves a mark on the Ohio State fan base. It’s even worse when it’s to Michigan — and for a defensive end. This is an even harder pill to swallow after the Buckeyes lost top-60 end Luke Wafle to USC on June 19.
Ohio State has taken big swings at elite edge players in the past few classes but has often come up short. The Buckeyes went hard after South Carolina star Dylan Stewart and Miami’s Marquise Lightfoot in the 2024 class. They pursued in-state four-star Justin Hill in the 2025 class and missed, as well, as he committed to Alabama.
Yes, Ohio State has plenty of talent at defensive end right now with Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Caden Curry, Logan George and Beau Atkinson all expected to make jumps this year, and unless the NFL comes calling, they could all be on the roster in 2026 too. Freshman Zion Grady, a top-100 recruit last year, had a good spring and was a big recruiting win too. But there’s work to be done this recruiting cycle.
Advertisement
Ohio State has a commitment from four-star end Khary Wilder, who was just named MVP at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge this summer, along with defensive tackles Damari Simeon and Cameron Brickle. And there are other prospects to watch like four-star end KJ Ford, who visited on June 20 and remains uncommitted after also visiting Texas A&M, Florida and Alabama.
Regardless of the options, watching Meadows go to Michigan isn’t going to be easy for a fan base that wants to see wins over the Wolverines more than anything. The Buckeyes need to hit on the defensive line in this class, and this is an especially difficult head-to-head contest to lose. — Cameron Teague Robinson, Ohio State beat writer
(Photo of Ryan Day and Sherrone Moore: Adam Cairns / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
How the PFA’s pre-season programme is helping to ease free agents’ uncertainty
Down a long drive, out of sight in the Leicestershire countryside, there is a buzz around a football pitch.Forty players, and various groups of coaching staff, are mingling by a set of dugouts, chatting, swapping their trainers for boots, preparing for training to get under way. It is pre-season; this is not an unusual sight up and down the country at this time of year.But this is not pre-season as we know it - this is the PFA's pre-season camp. Image: The PFA pre-season programme began on June 30 and runs for 10 weeks (Image: PFA) Now in it's second year, it is a 10-week, fully-funded residential programme and, along with training on the pitch, players have access to spa and gym facilities, strength and conditioning sessions and more. PFA members released this summer, who had a professional contract during […]
Tottenham complete signing of Japan international defender Kota Takai
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale on a five-year contract running to 2030.He is the first signing under new head coach Thomas Frank who was not on loan at the club last season under previous boss Ange Postecoglou.As reported by The Athletic, an agreement for the 20-year-old Japan international was reached for £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), which represents a record fee for a player in the J League — the top division of Japanese football — moving overseas. Welcome to Tottenham Hotspur, Kota Takai 🤍 pic.twitter.com/oFa1PqYOzI — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 8, 2025Takai, who was into the final six months of his contract at Kawasaki Frontale, has played 28 times at club level in 2025 and has also made four appearances for Japan.He played a key role in Kawasaki Frontale winning the […]
„Manchmal hätte ich mir gewünscht …“ – Djokovic spricht Federer in der Royal Box an
Giganten-Treffen Wimbledon! Novak Djokovic kämpfte sich ins Viertelfinale und ist nur noch einen Sieg vom achten Titel entfernt, um mit Roger Federer (43) gleichzuziehen. Im Achtelfinale bezwang er den Australier Alex de Minaur (26) mit 1:6, 6:4, 6:4, 6:4 – und das unter den Augen seines langjährigen Rivalen Federer, der in der Royal Box applaudierte.„Wir haben uns nur ganz kurz gesehen. Er hat mir gratuliert und das war's auch schon“, erzählte Djokovic nach dem Match über das Treffen mit Federer. Er fügte hinzu, mit Blick zu Federer: „Manchmal hätte ich mir gewünscht, ich hätte das Serve-and-Volley von dem Gentleman, der dort oben steht.“ Pure Verzweiflung: Den ersten Satz Novak Djokovic (38) gab Novak Djokovic (38) mit 1:6 abFoto: WITTERS<!-->]-->Djokovic war begeistert, dass Federer zusieht. „Es ist wahrscheinlich das erste Mal, dass er zuschaut und ich gewinne. Er ist ein großartiger […]
Why Moise Kean is a completely different player now to the one who struggled at Everton
Moise Kean’s last Premier League appearance at Old Trafford was a deeply chastening one.Brought on as a substitute during Everton’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United in December 2019, Kean, then just 19 years old, endured football’s ultimate indignity when he was hauled off just 18 minutes later by interim manager Duncan Ferguson.AdvertisementBut with United now keeping tabs on the Fiorentina striker — as reported in our Transfer DealSheet — who has a €52million release clause active until July 15, the Theatre of Dreams could offer the perfect full-circle stage for his career redemption arc.Could he be a surprise option to revamp Ruben Amorim’s stuttering attack?Here, The Athletic explores how Kean, revitalised by a resoundingly successful debut season at Fiorentina, has evolved — and why he is a very different player to the one who struggled at Everton…That image of Kean trudging […]
Cameron Norrie’s Wimbledon and being a British tennis player on the fringes
THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — Cameron Norrie leading Novak Djokovic by a set in a Wimbledon semifinal feels like a trick of the mind.But a scouring of the record books confirms that it wasn’t a weird fever dream. It was the somewhat strange 2022 edition, when Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned and there were no ranking points, but Norrie, a British player on Centre Court, two sets away from the Wimbledon final? Shouldn’t that have been a bigger deal? Shouldn’t it have put him into the country’s sporting mind?AdvertisementThree years on, Norrie is again the last Brit standing at Wimbledon, and is again going under the radar. He beat Chile’s Nicolás Jarry Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals, and he will play two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court in what should, in theory, be a monumental […]
Beachhandball-EM – Kretzschmar-Schreck bei Auftaktsieg
Sand-tastisch! Die deutschen Frauen starten mit einem Sieg in die Beachhandball-EM in der Türkei. Am Strand von Alanya besiegt die Mannschaft von Bundestrainer Alexander Novakovic (41) Polen ohne Mühe 2:0. Die DHB-Girls gewinnen beide Halbzeiten souverän, 24:12 und 24:10.Das frühe Aufstehen im Trainingslager hat sich gelohnt, gleich um 8.30 Uhr (Ortszeit) sind die deutschen Titelverteidigerinnen hellwach, alle Tore werden mit zwei Punkten gewertet. Die Spins (Drehwurf 360 Grad um die eigene Achse), Kempa-Zuspiele und Spezialisten-Tore (Spielerin mit buntem Trikot gekennzeichnet) sitzen.Wie geht das denn?: DIESES Tor zählt doppelt!<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/Instagram03.06.2025So haben sich das die beiden Kapitäninnen Kirsten Walter (29) und Lucie-Marie Kretzschmar (24/Tochter von Handball-Legende und Füchse-Sportchef Stefan Kretzschmar/52) vorgestellt. Geholfen hat vor dem Turnier-Start auch ein ganz besonderes Ritual. Beachhandball-EM: Deutschland blockt und schraubt sich zum SiegKretzschmar: „Wir waren wie vor jedem Turnier zum Trainingslager-Abschluss am Ufer der Isar und […]
Related
How the PFA’s pre-season programme is helping to ease free agents’ uncertainty
Down a long drive, out of sight in the Leicestershire countryside, there is a buzz around a football pitch.Forty players, and various groups of coaching staff, are mingling by a set of dugouts, chatting, swapping their trainers for boots, preparing for training to get under way. It is pre-season; this is not an unusual sight up and down the country at this time of year.But this is not pre-season as we know it - this is the PFA's pre-season camp. Image: The PFA pre-season programme began on June 30 and runs for 10 weeks (Image: PFA) Now in it's second year, it is a 10-week, fully-funded residential programme and, along with training on the pitch, players have access to spa and gym facilities, strength and conditioning sessions and more. PFA members released this summer, who had a professional contract during […]
Tottenham complete signing of Japan international defender Kota Takai
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale on a five-year contract running to 2030.He is the first signing under new head coach Thomas Frank who was not on loan at the club last season under previous boss Ange Postecoglou.As reported by The Athletic, an agreement for the 20-year-old Japan international was reached for £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), which represents a record fee for a player in the J League — the top division of Japanese football — moving overseas. Welcome to Tottenham Hotspur, Kota Takai 🤍 pic.twitter.com/oFa1PqYOzI — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 8, 2025Takai, who was into the final six months of his contract at Kawasaki Frontale, has played 28 times at club level in 2025 and has also made four appearances for Japan.He played a key role in Kawasaki Frontale winning the […]
„Manchmal hätte ich mir gewünscht …“ – Djokovic spricht Federer in der Royal Box an
Giganten-Treffen Wimbledon! Novak Djokovic kämpfte sich ins Viertelfinale und ist nur noch einen Sieg vom achten Titel entfernt, um mit Roger Federer (43) gleichzuziehen. Im Achtelfinale bezwang er den Australier Alex de Minaur (26) mit 1:6, 6:4, 6:4, 6:4 – und das unter den Augen seines langjährigen Rivalen Federer, der in der Royal Box applaudierte.„Wir haben uns nur ganz kurz gesehen. Er hat mir gratuliert und das war's auch schon“, erzählte Djokovic nach dem Match über das Treffen mit Federer. Er fügte hinzu, mit Blick zu Federer: „Manchmal hätte ich mir gewünscht, ich hätte das Serve-and-Volley von dem Gentleman, der dort oben steht.“ Pure Verzweiflung: Den ersten Satz Novak Djokovic (38) gab Novak Djokovic (38) mit 1:6 abFoto: WITTERS<!-->]-->Djokovic war begeistert, dass Federer zusieht. „Es ist wahrscheinlich das erste Mal, dass er zuschaut und ich gewinne. Er ist ein großartiger […]
Why Moise Kean is a completely different player now to the one who struggled at Everton
Moise Kean’s last Premier League appearance at Old Trafford was a deeply chastening one.Brought on as a substitute during Everton’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United in December 2019, Kean, then just 19 years old, endured football’s ultimate indignity when he was hauled off just 18 minutes later by interim manager Duncan Ferguson.AdvertisementBut with United now keeping tabs on the Fiorentina striker — as reported in our Transfer DealSheet — who has a €52million release clause active until July 15, the Theatre of Dreams could offer the perfect full-circle stage for his career redemption arc.Could he be a surprise option to revamp Ruben Amorim’s stuttering attack?Here, The Athletic explores how Kean, revitalised by a resoundingly successful debut season at Fiorentina, has evolved — and why he is a very different player to the one who struggled at Everton…That image of Kean trudging […]
Cameron Norrie’s Wimbledon and being a British tennis player on the fringes
THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — Cameron Norrie leading Novak Djokovic by a set in a Wimbledon semifinal feels like a trick of the mind.But a scouring of the record books confirms that it wasn’t a weird fever dream. It was the somewhat strange 2022 edition, when Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned and there were no ranking points, but Norrie, a British player on Centre Court, two sets away from the Wimbledon final? Shouldn’t that have been a bigger deal? Shouldn’t it have put him into the country’s sporting mind?AdvertisementThree years on, Norrie is again the last Brit standing at Wimbledon, and is again going under the radar. He beat Chile’s Nicolás Jarry Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals, and he will play two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court in what should, in theory, be a monumental […]
Beachhandball-EM – Kretzschmar-Schreck bei Auftaktsieg
Sand-tastisch! Die deutschen Frauen starten mit einem Sieg in die Beachhandball-EM in der Türkei. Am Strand von Alanya besiegt die Mannschaft von Bundestrainer Alexander Novakovic (41) Polen ohne Mühe 2:0. Die DHB-Girls gewinnen beide Halbzeiten souverän, 24:12 und 24:10.Das frühe Aufstehen im Trainingslager hat sich gelohnt, gleich um 8.30 Uhr (Ortszeit) sind die deutschen Titelverteidigerinnen hellwach, alle Tore werden mit zwei Punkten gewertet. Die Spins (Drehwurf 360 Grad um die eigene Achse), Kempa-Zuspiele und Spezialisten-Tore (Spielerin mit buntem Trikot gekennzeichnet) sitzen.Wie geht das denn?: DIESES Tor zählt doppelt!<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/Instagram03.06.2025So haben sich das die beiden Kapitäninnen Kirsten Walter (29) und Lucie-Marie Kretzschmar (24/Tochter von Handball-Legende und Füchse-Sportchef Stefan Kretzschmar/52) vorgestellt. Geholfen hat vor dem Turnier-Start auch ein ganz besonderes Ritual. Beachhandball-EM: Deutschland blockt und schraubt sich zum SiegKretzschmar: „Wir waren wie vor jedem Turnier zum Trainingslager-Abschluss am Ufer der Isar und […]
Be the first to leave a comment