The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL M alakai Lee stands out when he walks in a room. The country's No. 11 offensive tackle and top pros- pect in Hawai'i according to Rivals, he checks in at 6-foot-7, 310 pounds. The newly minted Michigan commit is one of the most physically impressive re- cruits in the country. He committed to the Wolverines June 27, picking the program over Geor- gia, Alabama, Texas and a host of other prestigious programs. The nation's No. 93 overall prospect attends Honolulu Kamehameha Second- ary school, and his coach, Kaeo Drum- mondo, heaped praise on the rising senior that goes beyond his towering frame. "I think the thing that stands out about Malakai the most is, when you first see him, the sheer size of the young man," Drummondo told Rivals. "But the young man that I've grown to know is actually a really good teammate. He comes from a football family." College coaches stopping by Kame- hameha Secondary is nothing new, but seeing staff members from Michigan and Texas this year was not normal. These schools showed extremely strong interest and made the 2024 Hawai'i Open Division first-team all-state pick's final four. Michigan's bond with the heavily re- cruited tackle dates back to last summer. The Lee family told offensive line coach Grant Newsome that if he made a trip out to Hawai'i early this year, they would spend Victors Weekend in Ann Arbor. The allure of the SEC held the lineman's attention, but Michigan prevailed after receiving his final official visit. "That Victors Weekend, I know it's super important to them, but that whole coaching staff has just been really awe- some to us and great, and they've been super consistent," Lee told The Wolver- ine earlier this year. Drummondo did not try to play any role in Lee's recruitment except facilitating where the elite tackle needed him. His ad- vice to Lee — travel to each campus and get a feel for all of his top schools in person. "Hawaiian culture is a lot about fam- ily, so, if we gave him any advice, it was to get into the building, get to know your future coaches, the players that you'll be playing with in the future," Drummondo said. "Don't just look at the football program, look at the school. What type of academics does it offer you? What is the city like? Are you go- ing to enjoy living there? What's the weather like?" The coach stressed all of that to Lee in addition to the importance of find- ing the right fit on the football field. Lee spent a ton of time in Ann Arbor over the past year, making two multi-day trips to Michigan during the past several months. Newsome led the charge in his recruit- ment, and he took a few trips to Hawai'i this year. Head coach Sherrone Moore also visited Lee once, and that meeting resonated with the lineman's family. "Unfortunately, I wasn't around when Coach Moore was able to come out here with Coach Newsome, but I know from Malakai and his family's perspective, it's big when a head man is willing to get on the plane and make a trip that far," Drummondo said. "It does show how serious the program is to try to get them in there. "I can't speak for them, as far as the totality of the impact of that, but in my little conversation with him, I know that they were appreciative of the gesture." Georgia led off his official visit sched- ule in April, and then the towering tackle made an unofficial visit back to Athens in June. Alabama and Texas hosted him for visits as well. He wrapped up his recruit- ment less than a week after leaving Ann Arbor, pledging to the Wolverines and giving U-M one of its most impressive recruiting wins of the 2026 cycle. "I'm excited to be a part of this team, and experience the culture of Michigan football," Lee told Rivals' Steve Wiltfong. "Coach Moore is building something special, and I want to be a part of it." ❑ On3's Inside Texas contributed to this report PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Malakai Lee is a huge offensive lineman, but it's hard to find film on him. We've done as much digging as we can. After a lot of effort, we've seen a decent bit of film on him. The first thing that stands out about him is his size. He's a mountain of a prospect. He moves well at his size. He dwarfs the competition he plays. But he has the agility and reactive quickness you want to see. He plays basketball. You can see him running up and down the court. He's light footed. He has natural strength to him as well. There are tools to work with for sure. You think about the offensive line development Michigan has had, and I think Malakai Lee gives them a lot to work with from a physical and traits perspective. I project him as a tackle but could maybe see him playing guard as well. He's a big body who is going to help you in the run game and has the athleticism to keep developing in pass pro. — Rivals' director of scouting and rankings Charles Power AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Lee lacks an abundant amount of junior film, so it's tough to get a true gauge on what he looks like going into his senior campaign. There is no doubt he has a massive frame and plenty of brute strength. Like all taller tackles, it will be important for Lee to continue to improve his flexibility and bend. Lee can sometimes stay too high as he relies on his sheer size to overwhelm defenders in the run game. He looks the part in pass pro but can continue to improve his kick step. — The Wolverine recruiting analyst EJ Holland PLAYER COMPARISON: Former five-star recruit, second round NFL Draft pick and Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Adams. — Power OL Malakai Lee, Hawaii's Top Prospect, Chooses U-M Rivals rates Lee, a massive 6-7, 310-pounder, as the No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 93 prospect overall nationally. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND