Michigan kept pulling recruits away from the big names this summer. Four-star offensive lineman Lincoln Mageo chose the Wolverines on July 11, turning down offers from Ohio State, Texas, USC, and others to commit to Ann Arbor.

Mageo made the announcement live and went straight to what made Michigan the call.

"Honestly, just looking at it for life after football, I really think they can set me up for life after football. And looking at the football side of it, I really think that coach Harding can develop me to be the offensive lineman that I want to be," Mageo said for 247Sports on CBS Sports College Football.

Ohio State was in the mix with 21 total offers on the table. Mageo narrowed it to Michigan, Utah and Washington before pulling the trigger for the Wolverines.

Choosing Michigan over a program like Ohio State, their arch-rivals, is a real statement about how much Jim Harding's presence meant in this recruitment. After all, Ohio State has sent multiple offensive linemen to the first round in recent years

"It was so surreal. I can't even imagine how it would be on game day with all the fans there," Mageo said for 247Sports on CBS Sports College Football.

Mageo found visiting Michigan's 100,000-seat stadium surreal because he had only ever seen it on TV before.

Harding moved fast when he was hired in February. He made an in-home visit to Mageo and his family shortly after his 2026 NFL Draft success. Two of his Utah offensive linemen, Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fono, were taken in the first round.

The timing was perfect. Mageo was watching and paying attention. Michigan also dealt a massive blow to Ryan Day’s program by stealing four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr., an Ohio native, right out of Ohio on July 1.

Mageo is a 6-foot-4, 280-pound, No. 369 overall and No. 19 interior offensive lineman in the country on the 247Sports composite. He came to Ann Arbor three separate times before making the call.

Michigan now sits at 22 total commitments in the 2027 cycle with four offensive linemen in the group. The class is 11th in the country right now with 14 blue-chip pledges.

Michigan’s 2027 OL class now has depth at every spot along the trenches

Mageo joins four-star tackle Jakari Lipsey, three-star tackle Sidney Rouleau and three-star interior lineman Louis Esposito in Michigan's 2027 offensive line group, per MLive.

As a junior, Mageo played both left tackle and left guard, which shows the versatility Harding values in his recruits.

His versatility in high school gives Harding options. He can slide him inside or keep him outside, depending on what the roster needs.

Harding has talked about getting Michigan's offensive line back to Joe Moore Award level since day one. The Wolverines won it in 2021 as the best unit in the country. Every recruit he brings in is another piece of that puzzle.

Do you think Lincoln Mageo can develop into a first-round offensive lineman at Michigan? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Akanksha Biradar