Sherrone Moore's Michigan in contention for four-star DL in the Class of 2026: REPORTS

Four-star defensive lineman Jermaine Kinsler has been a priority target for Michigan Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore and defensive coordinator Lou Esposito for their 2026 class. The Bergen Catholic High School (New Jersey) standout made his second trip to Ann Arbor this weekend, along with his mother and uncle.

"Coach Moore and coach Lou have been doing good recruiting me," Kinsler said on Saturday, via On3's Chad Simmons. "I’m going back to get a more deeper look at Michigan to what they have to offer."

It is a big win for Michigan, as the 6-foot-7, 260-pound Kinsler was expected to be in Gainesville to visit Florida, but he changed his plans and went to Michigan. The Miami Hurricanes were the first program to give him an offer in 2022, and there is a strong family connection, as his older brother, Tommy Kinsler, is an offensive lineman for the school.

"I'm looking more deeper into Michigan to see if it's for me and build strong relationships with coach," Kinsler said, via The Michigan Insider.

Jermaine is also the cousin of West Virginia defensive lineman Elijah Kinsler. Besides Jermaine, Michigan had a stacked group of highly ranked visitors on campus, including top Class of 2026 targets like four-star wide receiver Travis Johnson, four-star cornerback Jordan Thomas and three-star edge rusher CJ Edwards.

The Wolverines also hosted several elite 2027 prospects, including wide receivers Dakota Guerrant, Chad Willis and Charles Britton.

Jermaine Kinsler opens up about Michigan coach's personal visit to recruit him

Jermaine Kinsler is the No. 1 prospect in New Jersey, the No. 172 overall prospect in the 2026 class and the No. 17 defensive lineman nationally, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Sherrone Moore and Lou Esposito personally visited him on Jan. 21.

"I had a great conversation with Coach Moore," Kinsler said, via The Michigan Insider. "It meant a lot for him being the head coach to come see me. He's a good coach, but even better guy."

There are no 247Sports crystal ball predictions for Kinsler's recruitment. However, On3 gives Penn State a slight advantage with a 16.8% chance of landing his commitment, followed by Ohio State (14.7%), Florida (12.6%) and Miami (10.5%).