Peyton Higginson has three schools on a list and a decision coming any day now. Michigan is one of them, and the connection runs deeper than a normal recruitment.

The three-star athlete out of Salem Hills High has narrowed things down to Michigan, BYU, and Utah State, with an announcement expected this week or early next week. Higginson told Deseret News' Jay Drew on June 29.

"It's going to be a tough call," Higginson said.

What makes Michigan's case interesting is the staff. Kyle Whittingham brought defensive coordinator Jay Hill, offensive coordinator Jason Beck, and a few other assistants with him from Utah, all of whom share Higginson's faith. Higginson has been building a relationship with Hill specifically since he was a freshman.

"Jay Hill arguably has been the best coach at recruiting me. I have built one of the greatest relationships in my life with coach Hill," Higginson said, as per the Deseret News interview.

That kind of bond doesn't happen overnight, and it's the main reason Michigan is even in this conversation. There's a catch, though.

Higginson finished high school in December, then heads out on a two-year mission starting in February 2027. So Michigan wouldn't even see him on the field until 2029.

He hasn't stepped on campus officially either. Michigan ran out of visit spots this month, so that one never happened for him. So he paid his own way out there a few months back just to see the place for himself.

Higginson is a legitimate get for whoever lands him. He caught 40 passes for 574 yards and nine touchdowns last season, plus 81 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

"It is Michigan. They play in the Big House. It is in the Big Ten. There's not much better football," Higginson said.

Whittingham is betting that two years from now, the relationship with Hill and the pull of playing in the Big Ten still wins out.

BYU reportedly holds the edge, with Utah State as the real threat

According to Jeff Hansen of Cougar Sports Insider, BYU is currently the favorite for Higginson, with Utah State posing more of a threat than Michigan.

Higginson backed that up himself, admitting he grew up a BYU fan in the Spanish Fork area with deep ties to the program.

“The coaching staff at BYU has been awesome,” he said in the same interview. “Kalani is one of the best head coaches in the business. You can feel it as soon as you get there. He’s got a good thing going there.”

Utah State's pitch is built around head coach Bronco Mendenhall and defensive coordinator Nick Howell, who has recruited Higginson since his sophomore year.

That leaves Michigan as the outsider in a race built on years of relationships closer to home. The Hill connection keeps the Wolverines alive, but distance and a strong in-state pull are working against them.

Do you think Michigan can pull off the upset for Higginson? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi