Photo Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

New Michigan Man: LB Josh Ross Commits

Posted onAuthorGarrett Fishaw

Finally. That’s what most Wolverine fans are thinking after news broke of St. Mary’s (MI) LB Josh Ross deciding to pull the trigger and commit to Michigan.

Ross, the younger brother of former Wolverine LB James Ross, is one of the top 2017 linebackers and players in the state. While he was a top target for the previous coaching staff, he became a true priority when Harbaugh took over. And for good reason. Like his brother, he’s an extremely smart and technical player but unlike his brother he has the prototypical size of a LB. There aren’t many linebackers that are better pure tacklers in the class which should make him a great fit at the SAM or MIKE spot in Brown’s defense.

Throughout his recruitment, he looked like a lock to end up as a Wolverine especially after the new staff made him a #1 priority as part of the top in-state targets. He took his time to really make sure he was ready to shut down his recruitment but got the itch after a spring practice visit and ended up joining the class just days later.

  • Height: 6’2”
  • Weight: 225lbs
  • Hometown (School): Orchard Lake, MI (OLSM)
  • Notable Offers: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Oklahoma, LSU
  • Rankings: Scout (4*, #228 overall) – Rivals (4*, #189 overall) – 247 (4*, #188 overall) – ESPN (4*, #162 overall)


As for the Rest of the Class: Ross is the 6th member of the 2017 class and the 3rd in-state commit. His addition should just be the start of a nice in-state run for the Wolverines as his commitment will help with the rest of the group, which includes teammate WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and OLB Corey Malone-Hatcher. As for the other top pure linebacker target, Paramus Catholic (NJ) LB Drew Singleton looks like the surest bet to be the 2nd true linebacker in the class.

Photo Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Garrett Fishaw
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