Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng is one of Michigan’s top targets when it comes to the 2025 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker is a premier linebacker and someone the Wolverines are trying to land, but Michigan will have other top schools to battle. Owusu-Boateng, who plays his high school football out of Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy, has announced a top five recently that has Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC in it.
Owusu-Boateng is coming off an official visit to Ann Arbor that he took back on June 21 weekend. Michigan Wolverines On SI’s Trent Knoop spoke with the top Michigan target recently to get some insight on how that visit went. This was the second time he’s been to Michigan, but this time was a little different for Owusu-Boateng. His family was able to get up to Ann Arbor with him and this visit exceeded all of his expectations.
“Having a chance to go up there with my family this time – me getting a full circle moment,” started Owusu-Boateng. “Me talking to coach BJ [Brian Jean-Mary), coach [Sherrone] Moore, Coach Wink [Martindale], just all of those coaches combined. So, I could see if Michigan was a real fit for me. It was a visit that exceeded all of my expectations when I left my visit.”
The Michigan coaching staff is just about a whole different group than what it was a year ago. Sherrone Moore took over for Jim Harbaugh and the entire defensive staff is new. But one thing that worked in Michigan’s favor is that the Wolverines brought back linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary. Jean-Mary had a short stint with Michigan in 2020 before going to Tennessee where he’s coached from 2021-23. Owusu-Boateng and Jean-Mary had a previous connection at Tennessee and him coming to Ann Arbor was huge for keeping the Wolverines in the mix. And even though he has a top five that he’s seriously considering, Owusu-Boateng believes Michigan is standing tall on his list moving forward.
“When coach BJ was at Tennessee, me and him kept in contact, so when he came over to Michigan it was a no-brainer for me,” said Owusu-Boateng. “Michigan stands really tall on my list going forward toward fall camp.”
But it’s not just coach Jean-Mary that is keeping Owusu-Boateng in the mix. He talked about the ‘people’ at Michigan and how they care about you. The coaching staff doesn’t just care about X’s and O’s, but they care about their players as men too. Owusu-Boateng singled out new Strength and Conditioning coach, Justin Tress, and how he cares about the development. Even though Michigan just won a championship, it’s a new coaching staff and they are hungry for more.
“The people at Michigan really care about you and your development,” Owusu-Boateng said. “Not only as a football player, but as a man. That’s from the head coach on throughout to coach Tress [S&C coach], he really cares about your development on and off the field as well. Everybody is on the same page, and they aren’t comfortable even though they just won a national championship. They have a championship to defend.”
Two of Owusu-Boateng’s IMG Academy teammates have recently committed to Michigan – RB Donovan Johnson and IOL Kaden Strayhorn – and while they are working on him to come play with them in Ann Arbor, Owusu-Boateng isn’t going to rush a commitment. It’s all about making sure it’s the correct place at the next level.
“This is a process you cannot rush,” said Owusu-Boateng on if he has a commitment date. “If I can get it done before the season, cool. If not, then it will push into the season.”
Owusu-Boateng is considered the 75th-ranked prospect and the ninth linebacker in the ’25 cycle, according to the Composite rankings.
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