The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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48 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK kid he is outside of football but also how much energy and care he has on the field and brings to practice every day. Also, be- ing a leader is huge, and he is the leader on defense, runs that side of the ball and is a great motivator for the rest of the team. "He is a baller, is a playmaker every game and is a huge part of why Creek has had so much success. I've loved my time with him and excited he has a great op- portunity at the University of Michigan." Hodge has not made any final decisions about his football future, and his bond with Michigan remains in its infant stages. With that said, the linebacker himself re- ally enjoyed his initial conversations with linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary. Development will play a key role in his decision. Hodge has not set any visits yet, but he plans on making the trip to Ann Arbor for a game day this fall. — Ethan McDowell NATIONAL EXPERT RAVES ABOUT MICHIGAN'S 2026 CLASS Rivals ranks Michigan's 2026 recruit- ing class 10th in the nation through mid-September. The Wolverines hold multiple five-star pledges and boast a 61 percent blue-chip ratio. That's good enough for the No. 4 class in the Big Ten, trailing only USC, Oregon and Ohio State at this point. Tom Lemming, the national recruit- ing analyst who authors the annual Prep Football Report magazine, thinks quite highly of Michigan's class. He has seen 22 of 23 Wolverine commits in person — Malakai Lee from Hawai'i is the only exception — and the industry veteran has plenty of thoughts on the class. Savion Hiter is the No. 1 running back in the country and the No. 8 overall prospect nationally according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. Lemming cer- tainly agrees with that evaluation. "He's got good size, he's got really good speed, great moves and balance," Lemming said. "He's got everything. He's got all the tools. He has to rank among the top three or four backs in the country." Carter Meadows, the No. 3 recruit in the country, is the other five-star pros- pect in the class. Lemming loves stop- ping by Gonzaga (D.C.) and sees plenty of potential in the 6-6 pass rusher, who continues to add weight to his towering frame. Rivals300 wide receiver Travis John- son also drew some praise from the ana- lyst thanks to his consistent production at Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith. "Travis is a big-time receiver," Lem- ming said. "He's got real good hands and real good length. His speed is OK, and he's been a star since his freshman year." Lemming has evaluated Brady Smigiel in person a couple of times during the Rivals300 quarterback's prolific high school career. The future U-M signal- caller fell a bit in Rivals' rankings this year, but he remains a five-star prospect in the Prep Football Report. "He's got great size and can move," Lemming said. "He's more of a pro- style type quarterback, but he can move around the pocket. He's just a real good all-around athlete and a prolific passer. He makes all the throws with pinpoint accuracy. I really liked him the last cou- ple years when I saw him." Four-star cornerback Dorian Barney is one of the more underrated recruits in Michigan's class, Lemming said. Jordan Deck will be one of the ath- letes on the cover of his magazine. Lem- ming believes he's the best free safety in Texas. Rivals300 edge rusher McHale Blade flew a bit under the radar as a recruit due to last year's injury, but he has "great potential" thanks to his explo- siveness. Lemming also included three-star wide receiver Jaylen Pile and Top 100 tight end Matt Ludwig on the maga- zine's cover. Ludwig is one of the high- est-ranked commits in the class, listed as the No. 128 recruit nationally. Lem- ming still thinks he deserves some more praise. "If Ludwig was in Detroit or Chicago, he would have been a national name," Lemming said. "He was kind of national already, but no one goes up to Billings, Montana. He had to go meet people and go around. He's a very good two-way lineman — tight end and defensive end. He's an outstanding athlete and the best player in Montana. "I think he could be the big surprise because all the other guys are bona fide, big-time stars." After signing the No. 6 group in the country last cycle, a 10th-ranked re- cruiting class would be tied for the third-best U-M class of the decade. — Ethan McDowell FOUR-STAR DB ANDRE CLARKE IS STILL SOLID WITH MICHIGAN Four-star Michigan defensive back commit Andre Clarke opened his senior season in late August. Clarke was thrown at just once and had an easy day at the office with his Richmond (Va.) Hermitage team cruis- ing to a 38-0 blowout win over Chester- field (Va.) Mataoca. "I was a role player for most of the RIVALS INDUSTRY TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS Rk.* School Commits 1. Southern Cal 32 2. Georgia 31 3. Notre Dame 27 4. Oregon 17 5. Texas 21 6. Texas A&M 27 7. Alabama 21 8. Tennessee 24 9. Ohio State 21 10. Michigan 23 * As of Sept. 23 National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming labeled Michigan four-star cornerback Dorian Barney from Carrollton, Ga., as one of the more underrated recruits in the Wolverines' class. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/RIVALS