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Michigan football lands 2025 five-star tackle Andrew Babalola

Vaseline October 22, 2024

It hasn’t been the season Michigan football was hoping for on the field, but so far that hasn’t affected recruiting off it.

Late Monday night, the Wolverines hit a home run in the class of 2025, landing a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola of Overland Park, Kansas (Blue Valley Northwest). The 6-foot-1, 280-pound prospect is ranked No. 1 in the state of Kansas, No. 4 among all offensive tackles and No. 21 regardless of position in his class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

“A tremendously gifted offensive tackle prospect who is relatively newer to the game and has virtually unlimited long-term potential,” 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote. “As a senior, he shows noticeably more conviction in finishing blocks. Excellent physical measurability with a frame approaching 6-6 and 34+ arms with huge legs.”

An elite athlete with a basketball background at both the varsity level and on the AAU circuit, Babalola highly valued academics. That’s why Stanford was among his finalists along with Missouri and Oklahoma. Babalola had prospects from virtually every major school, including Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Penn State among his 35 scholarship offers, but ultimately it was the Wolverines who were able to secure the huge commitment.

That now makes three offensive linemen who have committed to Michigan in the current high school class, as he joins four-star Avery Gach and three-star Kaden Strayhorn. Babalola, the fourth top-100 prospect in the class, is the first five-star commit to commit to the Wolverines since Will Johnson in 2022.

Michigan now has the No. 14 class of 2025 after posting its highest lead yet.

“A natural bender who plays with a wide base in pass protection, where he is able to consistently and effectively anchor versus power,” Brooks said. “Originally a basketball player whose functional athleticism in the pads reflects that background. He took valuable two-way shots earlier in high school. He is still developing hand placement technique and can use length to his advantage more consistently.”