Coach of Top 100 Ohio RB Shahn Alston talks Michigan, Tony Alford, more

Heavily on the radar for Michigan is Top 100 Painesville (Ohio) Harvey running back Shahn Alston , On3 ‘s No. 6 overall prospect at his position in the 2026 recruiting class.

“Sometimes this feels like a dream to everybody because it’s like you see all these rankings and whatnot. You see Shahn Alston, class of ’26, No. (6) running back in the nation, and Harvey High School,” head coach Mick Mohner told The Wolverine . “Seeing us, and where we are as a program right now. If we can continue to build off that, I think we have a lot of success.”

Alston, who eclipsed over 1,000 rushing yards as a sophomore last season, has also accumulated over 15 offers so far in his recruiting process. As Michigan remains closely eyeing Alston, a potential offseason return next month is possible, with the objective of earning an offer from the reigning national champions.

“I think work ethic (is) number one,” Mohner said. “For me, it’s really cool. It’s a full-circle moment for me as I played for (Alston’s) dad. My in-laws are the godparents of one of his sisters. Knowing (Shahn) from when he was in diapers and seeing him now has really been very cool. He’s been raised by two great parents, and his sisters keep him on the straight arrow as well. So, his overall work ethic, just being a guy you can trust to do the right things at the right time. I’m just proud of who he’s become as a young man.”

Alston was last in Michigan for an unofficial visit in late March, during which he took in spring camp practice.

“It’s a first-class academic institution,” Mohner said. “Michigan is one of those schools that’s going to be academics first. They play big-time football. They’re the No. 1 team in the nation. They won a national championship last year. I think all those resources and different connections you can make going up to a place like that would really benefit anybody.”

New Michigan running back Tony Alford has known Alston well since his tenure at Ohio State. Before Alford joined head coach Sherrone Moore ‘s staff, he welcomed Alston to Columbus five times, so their familiarity with each other is growing fast.

“(Alford is) phenomenal,” Mohner said. “He’s a guy that’s going to keep it real with you. I think, as a coach; you respect that. No matter what, he’s been consistent in his messaging with Sean. He hasn’t told any different stories. He hasn’t given any different reasons about anything else. Everything that he said has been consistent, and you can respect that as a coach, for sure.”

The recruiting approach that Alford has conducted resonates highly with both Alston and Mohner.

“I think he’s able to meet the kids where they are,” Mohner said. “I think It just helps him out because he has a son who’s around high school age. So, he’s able to identify where the kids are at and give them what they need. Every kid is going to need something different. I think sometimes, Shahn is a guy who needs somebody to keep it real with them. I think it’s something that we can respect. It’s easy for everybody to sing his praises, but Coach Alf is like, ‘No, this is the stuff you have to work on, and here’s what I need to see for you to be a Michigan Wolverine.’ It’s been consistent, and we can really respect that.”

At 5-foot-11, 204 pounds, Alston’s progressions this offseason have caught Mohner’s attention, including in-game speed and molding his physical frame. On3 also ranks Alston as the No. 75 prospect in the country and No. 2 player in Ohio.

“He may not have that first step quickness, but once he gets going, he’s a hard guy to catch or bring down,” Mohner said. “So, I think that’s probably what’s impressed me the most. It’s something I wasn’t expecting going into last year, like how fast he was in the open field.”

“Just seeing the way he’s been able to put on muscle mass, but still cut and make sure it’s healthy weight. He may have been a little bit heavier last year, but you can definitely tell he’s starting to chisel up a little bit as far as upper body, lower body. But every time he has a weakness, he’s going to do whatever he has to do to improve.”

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