As it stands, Indiana's 2027 recruiting class features just four players and is ranked as the No. 55 class in the country by 247Sports. Curt Cignetti has found great success utilizing the transfer portal during his tenure in Bloomington, but high school recruiting is still an important tool that needs to be effectively utilized. With that in mind, it's imperative that Cignetti's upcoming additions to Indiana's 2027 recruiting class are the right ones.
Cignetti and the Hoosiers suffered a tough blow on the recruiting trail over the weekend when 4-star DB target Tavares Harrington announced his list of finalists. Unfortunately, Indiana did not make the cut.
The Hoosiers have been in the mix for a while, as Cignetti extended an offer to Harrington last spring on April 30, 2025. But now it seems that Harrington will play his college football somewhere other than Bloomington.
Instead, Harrington's top-5 finalists include Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Alabama. He is set to announce his commitment decision later this month on May 22, and his predicted landing spot raises alarms for Indiana.
Tavares Harrington predicted to pick Michigan, which causes concern for Indiana
Earlier this week, On3 Vice President of Recruiting and Transfer Portal Steve Wiltfong predicted that Harrington will commit to the Michigan Wolverines and don the Maize and Blue next season.
Missing out on Harrington is already a tough pill to swallow, but seeing him go to a Big Ten rival would only pour salt in the wound for Indiana football fans.
2027 4⭐️ DB Tavares Harrington has been predicted to Michigan by On3’s Steve Wiltfong
— uofmcoverage (@uofmcoverage) May 12, 2026
Harrington is set to announce his commitment on May 22nd #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/TOHL3OMc2O
Michigan landing Tavares Harrington would give more momentum to Kyle Whittingham
After a tumultuous offseason, Michigan hired longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore. Whittingham turned Utah into one of the most consistent winners in all of college football over his 20 seasons in Salt Lake. With the Utes, he posted an overall record of 177-88 (.668) and went 109-70 (.601) in conference play. His presence immediately brings much-needed stability to the Wolverine program.
In terms of recruiting, Whittingham has signed the No. 12 recruiting class in the country for 2026. The class is led by 5-star Savion Hiter, who figures to make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor this season.
Looking further down the road, Whittingham has already received seven hard commits for the 2027 class. If Wiltfong's prediction comes true and Harrington commits to the Wolverines on May 22, Michigan's recruiting class would surely move up in the national rankings.
The Hoosiers and Wolverines both figure to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Coming off a National Championship, the Hoosiers are essentially expected to be a CFP team once again. Michigan has a few more question marks, but with Whittingham at the helm at 5-star QB Bryce Underwood returning for his sophomore season, don't be surprised if the Wolverines make some playoff noise in 2026.
Indiana and Michigan didn't meet this past season, but IU took down UM by a score of 20-15 in Bloomington back on November 9, 2024. The two teams are set to meet this season on October 24 in Ann Arbor.
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