Columbus, Ohio — Jahkeem Stewart, the five-star defensive line prospect from Ohio State, will not be making an official campus visit this weekend.
Ohio State’s chase of the Louisiana lineman is probably over as the gifted defense is not expected to make the visit as planned, according to a report from Rivals on Friday afternoon.
According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Stewart recently reclassified from the 2026 to the 2025 class and is now ranked as the No. 3 defensive lineman and the 16th overall prospect. In recent weeks, he has visited Oregon, LSU, and USC. Multiple national outlets predict he will ultimately commit to USC.
Ohio State’s 2025 defensive line class currently includes four committed recruits: Zion Grady, Jarquez Carter, Maxwell Roy, and Trajen Odom.
Five forecasts against Ohio State.
The upcoming season of “The Game” feels very different from the previous three. This series won’t feel the same going forward, not only because Michigan football isn’t a playoff candidate, but also because of the rivalry, which is important.
The super conference is different, and rematches may occur when the teams are as strong as they have been during the previous three years.
That isn’t always a terrible thing. Simply put, distinctive. This offseason, Michigan football needs to put in a lot of effort to regain that standing. Although Ohio State still needs to win to advance to the Big Ten title game, the Buckeyes would still qualify for the playoffs if they lost to Michigan.
Here are five predictions for the matchup between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, with the latter listed as a 19.5-point underdog.
The D-line for Michigan performs well.
The defensive line is Michigan football’s greatest strength going into this game. Josaiah Stewart, Kenneth Grant, and Mason Graham have all performed like first-round selections. Derrick Moore and Rayshaun Benny are also NFL players.
Ohio State has a strong offensive line, while Michigan has the depth it formerly possessed. Michigan will most likely begin to deteriorate as the games progress. That occurred versus Oregon and Texas.
Running the ball will be difficult for both teams.
Running the ball won’t be very successful for either team. Only 90 yards are allowed per game by Ohio State. Although Ohio State’s defensive line, which boasts several first-round picks, is likely to rival Michigan’s, the Buckeyes are renowned for their pass rush.
During the bye week, the Wolverines made some changes to strengthen their offensive line, which allowed them to rush for more than 200 yards against a Northwestern defense that gave up just 3.6 yards per attempt.
Will it translate this week, though? With Blake Corum and an outstanding offensive line, Michigan had to work for rushing yards the previous season. Both Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings are NFL-caliber backs. However, the Wolverines will be kept to less than 100 yards since the offensive line isn’t.
Even though Ohio State won’t do well, I believe Will Howard’s running prowess will be a deciding factor. Ohio State will have the advantage in running yards as a result.
Michigan football starts strong
For the first time this season, Michigan football looks poised and confident. Last week marked the first time in three years that the Wolverines played with such self-assurance.
This season, Michigan has won games, but they haven’t played football for four complete quarters. Michigan was careless even when they weren’t playing in the conference. However, last week was a whole effort, and the program was clearly improved.
Prior to last week, my confidence in Michigan’s ability to turn this into a game was considerably lower. I anticipated a 20–10 victory. In support of the Buckeyes on Saturday, that’s roughly what I anticipate.
However, Michigan football will get underway quickly. It will extract a few items from the back pocket. Even if it’s 3-0, U-M will take the lead in the first quarter. At halftime, the game will also be one-score.
