Michigan football looks to be in danger of losing out on another 2026 running back.

The Wolverines haven’t done a very good job of acquiring their future running back.
In the 2026 recruiting cycle, Michigan football has not yet identified its future running back, and it looks like you can probably cross another player off your list. Amari Latimer, a four-star running back, had postponed his official trip to Ann Arbor to visit Michigan this weekend and returned to Wisconsin to see the Badgers instead.

Latimer returned to Madison on an unauthorized visit after spending the previous weekend in Wisconsin for an OV. Latimer’s commitment to Luke Fickell’s program is evident from all indications. According to the Composite, the Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek prospect is the No. 17 running back and the 287th-ranked player in the country. Latimer was a target for the Wolverines, but it looks like Wisconsin will prevail in the end.

Latimer is not Michigan’s first target for a running back. A few of the Wolverines’ 2026 goals have been missed. All indications suggest that Latimer will commit to Wisconsin, whereas four-star Deshonne Redeaux attended USC, Javian Osborne choose Notre Dame over Michigan, and Javian Mallory attended Miami.

But there’s still hope for Michigan. The competition to get the 2026 cycle’s top-ranked running back is fiercely contested by the Wolverines. A five-star from Mineral, Virginia, Savion Hiter is headed to Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and Tennessee. Even though Hiter has not yet brought his OV to Ann Arbor, it seems that the Volunteers and Wolverines will compete for his recruitment.

The Wolverines have had crazy success with RBs over the past several years and Hiter could become the next great Michigan RB if he chose to come to Ann Arbor.