Michigan Football makes early push for 2028 linebacker Shamar Evans from Ruston, La.

Michigan Football has begun laying groundwork for the 2028 recruiting class with an early priority on Ruston, Louisiana, linebacker Shamar Evans, positioning the staff’s pitch as a chance to develop into an NFL-caliber defensive playmaker. Yahoo Sports reported that Michigan is “making early headway” for the prospect, with assistant coach Alex Whittingham highlighted as part of the effort.

The report frames Michigan’s approach around recruiting momentum against established SEC recruiting pipelines. The argument, as described by Yahoo Sports, is that Michigan can compete directly for top regional talent by leaning on its player development reputation and NFL pedigree, a sales point designed to resonate with high-upside defenders early in the process.

Evans is described in the report as a “Top247” type prospect and as Louisiana’s top-rated player in this cycle’s early evaluations. For a team, that matters because early interest from a national brand can influence how coaches and prospects think about visits, contact timing, and the first wave of recruiting visits that often set the tone for the remainder of a class.

While the 2028 cycle is still at an early stage, Michigan’s early attention to Evans suggests a broader defensive recruiting strategy. The Wolverines’ willingness to pursue a high-end linebacker from the South underscores how recruiting battles increasingly extend beyond geographic comfort zones, especially for positions where athletic traits and development projections can drive recruiting priority.

For Evans, the next watch items are the concrete steps that typically follow early recruitment: additional scheduled contact, official or unofficial visits, and any clarity on whether Michigan is simply monitoring his recruitment or building toward a more active recruitment timeline. As always with prospects at this stage, early traction does not guarantee a commitment, but it can shape the order in which finalists emerge later.

From Michigan’s perspective, landing a prospect like Evans would address a premium need in building future defensive depth and athleticism. Still, the Wolverines’ success will depend on how this early push plays out against other programs that are already positioned to recruit the same regional pool, and how the staff’s message holds as the recruiting cycle progresses.