The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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44 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan signed 27 com- mits in the early signing period Dec. 3-5, and as of Dec. 15 only two of them had asked out of their letters of intent following the termination of head coach Sherrone Moore. We didn't expect an avalanche of decommits to come right away. Some signees are still processing things, while others are really interested to see who Michigan hires next. Even after the two decommitments, U-M still had the nation's No. 12 recruit- ing class according to Rivals. Whether that group remains largely intact is the key question, and it obviously will be determined in large part by whomever Michigan hires as its next head coach. In rank order, here are the Wolverines' 25 U-M commitments as we see it now. 1. RB Savion Hiter MINERAL (VA.) LOUISA COUNTY Industry Ranking: No. 10 EJ's Ranking: Top 1-32 The Skinny: Ranked as the No. 1 r u n n i n g b a c k i n the 2026 recruiting class, Hiter brings an elite blend of vision, speed and power. He's a tough inside runner who consistently breaks tackles and picks up extra yards. Ran an 11.1 100-meters as a freshman and is a home-run hitter every time he touches the ball. A plus pass catcher out of the back- field who made plays on wheel routes and screens and also lined up at wide receiver at the prep level. Excellent contact balance and burst. Advanced in pass protection and a very willing blocker. Hard to find many weaknesses in his game. Checks all the boxes as a five-star prospect and a future first-round NFL Draft pick. Reminds Me Of: Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Hiter shares a lot of similarities with Robinson, who was also a former five-star pros- pect. Like Hiter, Robinson was domi- nant at the high school level. He ran over and around defenders and also excelled as a pass catcher. Robinson was a Doak Walker Award winner at Texas. Hiter can do the same at Michigan. 2. EDGE Carter Meadows WASHINGTON (D.C.) GONZAGA Industry Ranking: No. 6 EJ's Ranking: Top 1-32 The Skinny: Impressive frame at 6 - f o o t - 6. 5 , 2 3 5 pounds. Has freaky length and knows how to use it when rushing the passer. Also does a fantas- tic job of disrupting passing lanes and swatting balls. Part of a Gonzaga state championship basketball team. High-end player on the court who sees those skills translate to the field. Elite athleticism with incred- ible bend and flexibility, especially for a player of his height. Spent more time in the weight room this year and added 10 to 15 pounds of mass. Play strength has improved significantly. Made a big leap from junior to senior year in terms of production, power and pass rushing skills. Looked and played like a five-star in the WCAC, one of the toughest high school leagues in America. May still need a year of development but has one of the highest ceilings in the country. Reminds Me Of: Tennessee Titans EDGE Arden Key. Like Meadows, Key was a highly touted pass rusher with an impressive frame and high-end athleti- cism. Key rose up the charts as a senior and was a borderline five-star on some sites before becoming a freshman All- American at LSU. While Meadows could use some development, he may be too talented to keep off the field — just like Key was. Key was a third-round NFL Draft pick in 2018 and likely would have gone higher if not for an injury. 3. WR Travis Johnson CHESAPEAKE (VA.) OSCAR SMITH Industry Ranking: No. 112 EJ's Ranking: Top 100-125 T h e S k i n ny : At 6 - fo o t -3, 1 8 0 p o u n d s, Jo h n so n is a bigger bodied wide receiver with elite athleticism. A star on the basket- ball court, Johnson has no trouble go- ing up and winning contested balls. Bends extremely well for his size and gets in and out of breaks like a small guy. Polished route runner with a ter- rific catch radius. Also a very willing blocker in the run game. Took a break from football before returning as a freshman and never had a dedicated wide receiver trainer. Still has a ton of upside. No verified times available, so speed is a question mark. However, Johnson stretches the field vertically on tape. Wins with finesse as opposed to physicality. Should be a Day 1 differ- ence-maker. Reminds Me Of: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Like Johnson, Marshall was a taller, slender outside wide receiver with eye-popping athleticism. Marshall also did a great job of bending in and out of breaks and often won with his catch radius and smooth movement. He won a national title with LSU in 2019 and was second- round NFL Draft pick in 2021. 4. OL Malakai Lee HONOLULU KAMEHAMEHA Industry Ranking: No. 128 EJ's Ranking: Top 125-175 T h e S k i n ny : At 6 - fo o t -7, 3 1 0 pounds, Lee is a mountain of a man. Uses that frame to his advantage on the field, playing with extreme physicality. Fairly nimble as well and appears com- fortable in pass protection but can be a bit slow off the ball. Power-Packed class Ranking U-M's 2026 Football Signees