The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2025 ❱ PREP PROFILES Brayden Fogle visited Michigan April 5 unsure of where he stood on the pro- gram's board. He left Ann Arbor that day feeling like a priority, and the Wolverines are now one of his top three programs. When the On300 tight end out of Man- sfield (Ohio) Lexington High visited U-M in early April, it marked his third time at Michigan after camping last summer and returning for the Texas game in the fall. Fogle wanted to know where he stood with the Wolverines, and tight ends coach Steve Casula made that very clear. "Coach Casula told me straight up, 'You're one of the guys that we're looking at,'" Fogle said. "There's like two or three of them, and I was one of them. That was one thing I wasn't sure about going in, but I know now, right? So, I can consider them more heavily." Fogle has locked in official visits with LSU for the last weekend of May and Georgia for the first weekend of June. He will spend either June 13 or June 20 in Ann Arbor. He's leaning toward the first date. He also holds offers from Auburn, South Carolina, Michigan State and many others, but he said Michigan, Georgia and LSU have separated themselves. "It's probably, realistically, going to be one of those three as of right now," he said. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound playmaker sees an opportunity to earn early playing time as an H-back/flex tight end. Casula is his primary recruiter, and Fo- gle said the U-M assistant will visit him April 25. They have a solid connection. The tight end likes Casula's coaching style after watching him at practice. "I love Coach Casula," Fogle said. "He's a funny guy. He's pretty entertaining, too. He's harder on his players, but in a good way, just trying to get the most out of his guys, and I respect that a lot. That's what I look for in a coach." Fogle feels extremely blessed to be go- ing through the recruiting process. He has not really focused on his decision too much to this point and took only two spring visits this year. The tight end is locked in on growing as a leader and pre- paring for his senior season. He also wanted to find out which schools are truly interested in him. Fogle now knows Michigan is one of those pro- grams, and he broke down why the school could be a good fit based on what's im- portant in his recruiting process. "The No. 1 thing is the people," Fogle said. "If I'm going to be around you for 8-12 hours a day, 11 months a year, I better like you. That's a non-negotiable. Two, I think it's the development, a proven track record of development. Coach Casula ob- viously has that. Michigan has that. And three, I want to win a national champi- onship. "They have Bryce Underwood. I think that gives them a pretty good chance." — Ethan McDowell Michigan hosted a number of top tar- gets for unofficial visits the weekend of April 12-13, including McHale Blade. The On300 edge rusher from Chicago Simeon also was in Ann Arbor during the winter and enjoyed getting back for a spring practice. "It was amazing," Blade said. "I brought my whole family down, and we really enjoyed the experience. It was fun. I can see the direction the program is headed. The way they were practicing was pretty intense. They were focused and dialed in. They are ready to get after it this season." Blade paid close attention to the Michi- gan edge group at practice. "I watched a lot of the edges," he said. "With me, it's all about versatility. They don't just assign their guys to one spot. They move them around. I can see myself in that mix." The visit gave Blade an opportunity to spend extended time with Michigan de- fensive line coach Lou Esposito as well as analyst Pernell McPhee, who works closely with U-M's pass rushers. "My conversations with Coach Espo were great," Blade said. "He expressed how I'm a top priority for their defense. I got to spend a lot of time with Coach McPhee as well. He's more of the edge guy. Both of those guys work hand in hand. I can see myself playing under them." Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was also heavily involved during Blade's stay in Ann Arbor. "It was great," Blade said. "He's a super good coach. He's a great ball coach but an even better person. He spoke to me and my family the majority of the weekend. … I can see his vision for the program. He's the first black head coach at Michigan, so that impresses me." So, where does Michigan stand coming out of the visit? "They are pretty high," Blade said. "This weekend helped out a lot. I got a better feel for the program and the edu- cation. That's a key part for me as well. Michigan just preaches excellence." Blade is set to visit USC April 19-20. However, the two schools talked about the most in his recruitment are Michigan and Notre Dame. While Notre Dame has the heavy lead on the On3 Recruiting Predic- tion Machine, Michigan has been making a big dent over the last several months. "Both are great football programs and have high education standards," Blade said. "It'll really come down to the people. … They are two high-profile programs with great football and a great education. Those are the two things I'm looking for in my recruitment." At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Blade is ranked by On3 as the No. 26 edge rusher and No. 195 overall prospect nationally. — EJ Holland Michigan Surging For On300 Tight End After Pivotal Visit On300 Edge Gives Weekend Michigan Visit High Marks ✪✪✪ ✪ ✪ Lexington High Mansfield, Ohio Class: 2026 Position: Tight end Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 225 On3 Rankings: No. 11 prospect in Ohio, and No. 10 tight end and No. 183 overall prospect nationally ❱ Brayden Fogle ✪✪✪ ✪ ✪ Simeon High Chicago Class: 2026 Position: Edge rusher Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 230 On3 Rankings: No. 7 recruit in Illinois, and No. 26 edge rusher and No. 195 overall prospect nationally ❱ McHale Blade