College hockey has received another groundbreaking commitment. Superstar defenseman and projected 2027 first-overall pick Landon DuPont is expected to announce his commitment to the University of Michigan for the 2026-27 season per Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek. DuPont will move to the United States after posting 18 goals and 73 points in 73 games of the WHL season – the league’s highest scoring from a 16-year-old defenseman since at least 2000.
DuPont was named the ninth exceptional status player in CHL history when he was granted access to the WHL in 2024. He was a sensation right out of the gates, winning the WHL’s Rookie of the Year award and being named to the CHL’s All-Rookie Team after scoring 60 points in 64 games of the 2024-25 season. DuPont also claimed a silver medal at the World U17 Hockey Challenge and a bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup that year.
The weight of DuPont’s talent seemingly can’t be understated. He is a game-breaking puck-mover capable of directing traffic and forcing open scoring chances. DuPont achieves those talents with smooth and effortless skating, quick stickhandling, and lightning-fast processing. He sees the full ice and should demand top power-play minutes right out of the gates in Michigan. That commanding presence helped DuPont propel the WHL’s Everett Silvertips to a league championship and Memorial Cup runner-up finish during the 2025-26 season.
Michigan offers DuPont much more runway as a true, number-one defenseman than their peers. Rival Michigan State University is preparing to add projected top-three draft pick Chase Reid to the fold next season, while the University of North Dakota should retain fellow top prospect Keaton Verhoeff. The University of Denver was also considered front-runners for the WHL star, until they sought out Ryan Lin and Daxon Rudolph in a quantity-over-quality approach. The cohort of 2026 draft stars spread across college hockey leaves a clear opening in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines will land their true star with this move and, in doing so, hopefully gain enough momentum to push past a semi-final finish in the 2026 Frozen Four. DuPont should be an immediate presence on both sides of the puck, though he’ll face a notable uphill battle in adjusting to the physicality of college hockey – especially as the Wolverines prepare for four games against rival Notre Dame. Even then, DuPont should find a path to thrive in a Wolverines system that supported Henry Mews to nine assists in the first 10 games of his collegiate career, before he sustained a season-ending injury. DuPont’s ability to both fill, and improve upon, Mews’ role on the top pair will underline his chances at securing first-overall in the 2027 class.
