There once was a time when a “gentleman’s agreement” existed within the Big Ten, when the football programs within the conference would back off high school prospects once they had committed to a school within the league.

That gentlemam’s agreement no longer exists today.

Last Thursday, Michigan offered three-star Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford, the No. 2 player from the state of Indiana in the 2026 recruiting class. The Wolverines offer comes just under two months after Guilford committed to Penn State back on Dec. 6.

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According to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, Guilford is considered the No. 534 overall prospect and No. 79 wide receiver in his class. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder has received over 20 scholarship offers from FBS programs, and would provide the Wolverines with a tall, lengthy targer in the passing game if they were able to flip him from Penn State.

Michigan currently has one wide receiver committed to its 2026 class in three-star Dallas (Texas) Parish Episcopal pass-catcher Jaylen Pile. The Wolverines have also expressed interest in five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., four-star Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith wide out Travis Johnson, and Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech athlete CJ Sadler at the position, among others.

As Michigan moves towards a more explosive approach to its passing attack under first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, look for the Wolverines to aim higher to add more dynamic, downfield receiving threats in the coming recruiting cycles.

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