The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM ONLY $4.99 ONLY $4.99 SAVE 50% WITH SAVE 50% WITH PROMO CODE PROMO CODE JOIN50 JOIN50 Membership Benefits ■ Access to Wolverines Only Forum ( The For t) ■ E xclusive Premium content from Chris Balas, John Bor ton, E J Holland, Clay ton Say fie, Anthony Broome, and The Wolverine staf f ■ Daily Email Newslet ter ■ The Wolverine Mobile App with aler t s PER MONTH PER MONTH (Billed Annually) (Billed Annually) tially anticipated and is a versatile piece on the back end who can also play nickel or safety. Hart doubles as a playmaker at wide receiver as well. He has already made two visits to Michigan, which is a strong contender in this race. 3. DB Kainoa Winston (2025) Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga Watching Winston, the No. 9 safety and No. 112 overall recruit nationally, is so much fun. He might be on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, but he plays much bigger than his size. Win- ston is physical against the run and loves to line up in the box. He blitzes often as well and gets after the quarterback when asked. Winston is also a smart player on the back. He has great natural instincts and came away with an interception the one time he was thrown at when I saw him live. The On300 prospect committed to Michigan in the summer and is fully locked in. 2. OL Darius Gray (2026) Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's A Top 100 prospect, Gray has an argu- ment as the best guard in the country for next cycle. The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder plays with one of the nastiest mean streaks I've ever covered and loves to put guys in the dirt. Gray, the No. 4 inte- rior offensive lineman and No. 25 overall recruit nationally, finishes blocks with authority, and his physicality and brute strength are also ultra impressive. Gray is also technically sound and has nimble feet — he's a freight train when pulling. He may very well end next cycle as a five-star. Michigan hosted him in the offseason and is looking to get him back soon. 1. RB Savion Hiter (2026) Mineral (Va.) Louisa County The No. 1 running back and No. 20 overall recruit in the junior class played like it when I saw him live. I arrived to Hit- er's game just 20 minutes late after seeing Winston in an afternoon game. Hiter had already rushed for 100 yards and 2 touch- downs and added 150 more yards of total offense and another 2 touchdowns while I watched from the sidelines. Hiter is pow- erful, explosive and dynamic, and doubles as an excellent pass catcher. He's the total package. Michigan has hosted him three times and is right at the top of his list. ❏ MICHIGAN'S 2025 COMMITMENTS Name Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Andrew Babalola HHHHH OT 6-6 295 Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest) Jamar Browder HHH WR 6-4 205 Lake Worth, Fla. (Santaluces Community) Shamari Earls HHHH CB 6-2 205 Chester, Va. (Thomas Dale) Avery Gach HHH IOL 6-4 270 Franklin, Mich. (Wylie E. Groves) Julius Holly HHHH EDGE 6-3 230 Alpharetta, Ga. (Alpharetta) Donovan Johnson HHHH RB 6-1 210 Savannah, Ga. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Bobby Kanka HHH DL 6-4 263 Howell, Mich. (Howell) Andrew Marsh HHHH WR 6-0 175 Fulshear, Texas (Katy Jordan) Andrew Olesh HHHH TE 6-5 215 Center Valley, Pa. (Southern Lehigh) Eli Owens HHH TE 6-1 215 Alcoa, Tenn. (Alcoa) Jasper Parker HHHH RB 6-1 200 Marrero, La. (Archbishop Shaw) Benny Patterson III HHHH DL 6-3 240 Newburgh, Ind. (Castle) Jayden Sanders HHHH CB 6-2 175 Kilgore, Texas (Kilgore) Kaden Strayhorn HHH IOL 6-3 285 Novi, Mich. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Chase Taylor HHH LB 6-3 201 Stockbridge, Ga. (Stockbridge) Ivan Taylor HHHH S 6-1 180 Winter Garden, Fla. (West Orange) Jaylen Williams HHHH DL 6-6 255 Palatine, Ill. (Palatine) Kainoa Winston HHHH S 5-10 184 Montgomery Village, Md. (Gonzaga [D.C.]) Jacob Washington HHHH WR 6-3 180 New Orleans (Archbishop Shaw) MICHIGAN'S 2026 COMMITMENTS Name Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Brady Hart HHHH QB 6-5 185 Indialantic, Fla. (Cocoa) Brody Jennings HHH CB 6-1 175 Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin) Jaylen Pile HHH WR 6-0 178 Southlake, Texas (Parish Episcopal School)