Intel: Michigan commit schedules two official visits elsewhere

As Michigan’s spring camp nears its end, anticipation is high for the intrasquad exhibition at The Big House, which will be televised on FOX at 12pm EST. The event is not only a showcase for the team but also a platform for recruiting. Among the 2025 recruits expected to visit, the return of four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka to Ann Arbor is particularly noteworthy.

Kanka has been committed to the Wolverines since early August of last year. This weekend’s visit will be the family’s 14th total appearance on campus. While Kanka has attended spring games at Michigan in the past, this visit holds significance as it coincides with the introduction of new defensive line coach Lou Esposito. 

Esposito, the final addition to head coach Sherrone Moore‘s staff, has recently made contact with Kanka and is scheduled to meet face-to-face on Saturday. It’s a lead-in to this upcoming Monday when Esposito and Moore are expected to head over to Howell High to meet with Kanka and his family to begin the spring evaluation period.

The Wolverine has also been told that Moore will sit down with the family before Michigan’s spring game gets underway. The news comes as Kanka will undergo scheduled official visits to Michigan State and Tennessee. The Spartans and Volunteers coaching staff have continued to push for Kanka this offseason and are slated to welcome him on their campuses on June 14-16 and June 21-23, respectively.

Michigan will host its annual “Victors Weekend” the final days before the summer dead period, which is June 24. U-M has seven recruits on the docket for the weekend, including On300 quarterback commit Carter Smith and three-star tight end commit Eli Owens. But Kanka is scheduled to be in Knoxville.

The turnover of defensive line coaches that Michigan has had to endure since the national championship, with Esposito replacing a resigned Greg Scruggs, the first successor of Mike Elston, opened the door for MSU and UT to aggressively make a move. Kanka visited East Lansing with some of his Howell teammates earlier this month and took in a game-day visit down south last season. An official to Michigan has yet to be finalized, but more clarity will be drawn after the spring game and the Monday meeting with the coaches.

With the spring game, Kanka and his loved ones will be keeping a close eye on Esposito throughout. Dissecting how Esposito leads the defensive line room, his demeanor on the sidelines, and how the unit responds to his coaching will be important for the family to interpret. As The Wolverine has reported before, the family had a very close relationship with Elston, his wife and daughters, so a similar bond with Esposito will be important.

Playing for a program coming off a national championship, learning from stars like Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, and attending college less than an hour from home is still where Kanka’s heart is. The family has also harped on countless times about the educational resources in Ann Arbor, as well as the cultural aspect. They attended three games at The Big House last season.

“I felt like I was almost part of the team and part of the family,” Kanka previously told The Wolverine in the winter. “It was cool. I felt like I was with them the entire time, even though I wasn’t on the field playing. It felt like I was close with the team and coaching staff. Watching them do their thing was cool feeling like I was a part of it.”

Kanka is currently in the middle of the track and field season and focusing on preparations for his senior year. His reported measurables in mid-April are 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. On3 vaulted Kanka to No. 3 overall in-state on the updated 2025 On300 release.

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