The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 43 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING process, so it surprised many when his letter of intent failed to arrive in Ann Arbor on signing day. Hiter gave Michi- gan fans a bit of a scare while he and his family worked out a few final details with U-M. The drama quickly ended before 7:30 a.m. the following day, Dec. 4, with Michigan announcing the crown jewel of its recruiting class. "It's a brotherhood," Hiter said. "I love it over there. I'm excited to play with Bryce [Underwood]. We're going to be a dynamic duo." RECEIVER MADNESS Going into National Signing Day, Ri- vals300 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith wide receiver Travis Johnson and four- star Mansfield (Texas) High wide re- ceiver Zion Robinson were thought to be locks to end up in the class. Rivals300 Georgia commit Brady Marchese wasn't even on the radar. Then the tables turned. Virginia Tech and new head coach James Franklin made a late run at John- son going into signing day. Things did get close — so close that Michigan had updated discussions with Johnson's representation, Johnson himself and his mother. In the end, Johnson signed at a drama-free ceremony where he walked in with Michigan gear. "Virginia Tech did talk to me a lot here at the end," Travis said. "It got a little stressful. But it was late. I had good talks with the coaches at Michigan. I just felt comfortable with Michigan. ... I believe in the vision they have for me. I still like what they are doing with the offense. I think Bryce is a great player. I'm excited to play with him. Michigan has always felt like family." The Robinson recruitment didn't have such a positive ending. Robinson surprised many when he delayed his signing. Initially, Texas was thought to be the cause. But it actually turned out to be … Stanford. The Cardinal made a big push and checked a lot of boxes for Robinson. Remember, Stanford was a finalist for Robinson, who was born in Califor- nia, back in the summer. He flipped his commitment from Michigan the day af- ter signing day. Michigan did a great job of quickly pivoting to Marchese. The Cartersville (Ga.) High product almost picked Mich- igan in the summer, but NIL ultimately played a big role in him initially picking Georgia. Michigan got its revenge with updated business discussions and com- pleted a dramatic flip to close the show on the second day of the early sign- ing period — just hours after Robinson flipped out of the class. Marchese doesn't have the ceiling that Robinson does, but he can play in- side or outside and may be ready to play as soon as next season. Think Roman Wilson as a comp. "I think he's a big get for Michigan," Power said. "Upgrading the talent in the wide receiver room via high school recruiting and the transfer portal and getting some weapons for Bryce Under- wood is a clear priority for the Wolver- ines. Brady Marchese is another solid step in the right direction. "Putting him in that wide receiver room with Andrew Marsh, a true fresh- man standout, and Travis Johnson in this class, that's a really positive step in terms of the wide receiver talent in Ann Arbor around Underwood." FLIPS AND DECOMMITS Michigan suffered a tough loss when top-100 Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork edge Julian Walker flipped to South Carolina after delaying his decision by a day. Walker visited South Carolina over and over throughout the season. With his father on the strength staff, and his mother not being completely sold on U-M, it just seemed like this one could go downhill at any moment. The Wol- verines did everything right here — de- fensive line coach Lou Esposito devel- oped a strong bond with Walker, the staff got him back on campus for The Game, and they had positive NIL dis- cussions. The Wolverines were all in on keeping Walker, but it didn't work out. Losing Walker — he was a borderline five-star and would have made an early impact in Ann Arbor — stings. Still, Michigan has a quality edge class with Meadows, four-star prospect McHale Blade and three-star standout Tariq Boney. Following the stunning dismissal of head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10, U-M's 2026 class suffered two decom- mitments. Four-star tight end Matt Ludwig was the first to request and get a release from U-M, followed by three- star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. As of Dec. 15, the rest of the class was still on board, pending a new coach. ❏ ❱ Michigan Football's 2026 Signees Name Rivals Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) McHale Blade HHHH DL 6-4 245 Country Club Hills, Ill. (Simeon) Tariq Boney HHH EDGE 6-2 245 Washington, D.C. (St. John's College) Mason Bonner HHH TE 6-7 225 Lakewood, Colo. (Mullen) Jonathan Brown HHH RB 6-2 200 Westerville, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales) Tommy Carr HHH QB 6-4 185 Saline, Mich. (Saline) Kaden Catchings HHH LB 6-1 220 Jackson, Miss. (Hartfield) Andre Clarke HHHH DB 6-1 180 Richmond, Va. (Hermitage) Markel Dabney HHH LB 6-1 225 Richmond, Va. (Huguenot) Titan Davis HHHH DL 6-4 275 Overland, Mo. (De Smet Jesuit) Jordan Deck HHHH DB 6-2 190 Little Elm, Texas (Lone Star) Colton Dermer HHH LS 6-0 250 Glendale, Ariz. (Sandra Day O'Connor) Micah Drescher HHH K 6-3 195 Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central) Tommy Fraumann HHH OL 6-8 265 Wilmette, Ill. (Loyola) Ace Hamilton HHH OL 6-3 295 Clinton, Md. (St. John's College) Savion Hiter HHHHH RB 6-0 210 Louisa, Va. (Louisa County) Travis Johnson HHHH WR 6-2 185 Chesapeake, Va. (Oscar Smith) Malakai Lee HHHH OL 6-7 350 Kaneohe, Hawai'i (Kamehameha Secondary) Brady Marchese HHHH WR 6-1 190 Acworth, Ga. (Cartersville) Carter Meadows HHHHH EDGE 6-6 235 Bethesda, Md. (Gonzaga) Jaylen Pile HHH WR 6-0 195 Grapevine, Texas (Parish Episcopal School) Aden Reeder HHH LB 6-2 215 Monroe, Ohio (St. Xavier) Brady Smigiel HHH QB 6-5 215 Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Newbury Park) Alister Vallejo HHHH DL 6-3 310 Liberty Hill, Texas (Liberty Hill) Jamarion Vincent HHHH DB 6-2 170 Waco, Texas (Waco Connally) Marky Walbridge HHHH OL 6-6 285 Hanover, Mass. (St. Sebastian's School)