They can’t all be wins on the recruiting trail and Michigan football experienced that on Wednesday, July 1.
The Wolverines lost out on five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who chose South Carolina over Kyle Whittingham’s program in a ceremony shown on Rivals’ YouTube channel.
One hour earlier, Michigan landed a pledge from four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert Jr. out of Cincinnati – a borderline top-100 player.
Dobson was the top 2027 cornerback target for the Wolverines for several months but the Cornelius, North Carolina (Hough) product ultimately opted to head south and join the Gamecocks.
Dobson was a true blue-chip target, rated the No. 1 player in North Carolina, No. 3 corner in the nation and No. 17 player in the country among rising seniors, per 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
“Speedy zone corner with a wiry frame that can race into the deeper third,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Not only has tested in the upper percentile, but has turned heads in a camp setting with his quick feet and smooth transitions.”
Dobson played his junior year at Fort Mill Catawba Ridge in South Carolina. His numbers were limited, with four tackles and one pass breakup in eight games, but he also contributed in other phases, catching three passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns on offense, with one kickoff return for a touchdown, per his profile.
Michigan got him on campus in mid-June for a visit, but his last official was to South Carolina a week later. He was invited to the Under Armour All-American Game, in which he had a tackle and an interception.
Michigan’s secondary class is still in good shape, but Dobson would have marked perhaps U-M’s top recruiting win in the Kyle Whittingham era.
Instead, it’s another close miss.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football loses out to South Carolina for five-star CB Joshua Dobson
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