The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
JANUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 45 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Will need to be developed at the next level and ad- just to a step up in competition. May need to trim some bad weight and re- build it the right way in the Michigan strength and conditioning program. Has all the upside in the world and the frame of a prototypical left tackle. Finding se- nior film is a daunting task, making this evaluation extremely difficult but not hard to see why the big Hawai'ian was coveted by blue bloods. Reminds Me Of: BYU offensive tackle Andrew Gentry. A U-M transfer, Gen- try was a former top-100 recruit thanks to a lot of the same traits that Lee has. He was a towering, well-filled out tackle who dominated in the run game and was tough for pass rushers to get around. Gentry went on a two-year mission after graduation, which is probably the reason he hasn't lived up to his ranking. Lee is arriving at Michigan as an early enrollee. 5. DL Titan Davis ST. LOUIS DESMET Industry Ranking: No. 108 EJ's Ranking: Top 125-175 The Skinny: Extremely versatile defensive lineman wh o s p e n t s o m e time as a stand-up pass rusher at the high school level but will play with h i s h a n d i n t h e dirt at Michigan. Has the frame and athleticism to be an early impact and can play all over the front, including three-technique and nose. Athleticism is a plus — actually be- gan his high school career as a quarter- back. Should be a handful as an interior pass rusher thanks to his movement and length. Also stout against the run. Added some quality weight as a senior and now checks in at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds. Could make an early impact in Ann Arbor. Reminds Me Of: New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Vernon Broughton. One of my favorite prospects from my time on the Texas beat, Broughton was also a versatile defensive lineman who continued to add weight as a senior and played all over the front. He is now north of 300 pounds and was a third- round NFL Draft pick this year. Davis has a similar frame and is ranked right in the same range as Broughton was. 6. DL Alister Vallejo LIBERTY HILL (TEXAS) HIGH Industry Ranking: No. 171 EJ's Ranking: Top 150-200 The Skinny: Already north of 300 pounds at 6-foot-3, 310. Shouldn't need much time in the strength and con- ditioning program. Could be an im- pact player as soon as he steps foot on campus. Impressive brute strength. Engages and tosses opposing offen- sive linemen with ease. Advanced run stopper with violent hands and physi- cality. Deceptively athletic with quality quickness. Lacks length but is still a ter- ror as an interior pass rusher. Fits per- fectly in Michigan's defensive scheme as a three-technique. Reminds Me Of: Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Mason Graham. Let me preface this by saying that I don't ex- pect Vallejo to be the next Graham. It's extremely difficult for anyone to replicate the success of the Michigan legend. How- ever, Vallejo shares a lot of similarities with Graham in terms of frame, play style and scheme fit at U-M. The Wolverines may not be getting Graham 2.0, but they are getting the next best thing at the position. 7. WR Brady Marchese CARTERSVILLE (GA.) HIGH Industry Ranking: No. 166 EJ's Ranking: Top 200-250 The Skinny: A late addition to the class, Marchese is ranked in the Top 100 range by two services and a three-star by another. The answer may be some- where in the middle. A versatile piece to the offense who can play inside or outside. Can also be used as a kick and punt returner. Not an elite blazer but is the fastest wide receiver join- ing the room since the 2022 recruit- ing cycle. Clocked a verified 10.92 in the 100 meters as a ju- nior. Thicker build at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Not super pol- ished as a route runner, especially short and intermediate, but should be able to develop quickly as an early enrollee. Has the tools to make an immediate impact. Reminds Me Of: Pittsburgh Steel- ers wide receiver Roman Wilson. A for- mer Michigan pass catcher, Wilson was used in multiple ways during his time in Ann Arbor and found plenty of success. Marchese is a bit more filled out than Wilson was as a recruit, but both have the speed and versatility. Wilson was a third-round NFL Draft pick in 2024. Marchese should follow a similar path. 8. S Jordan Deck FRISCO (TEXAS) LONE STAR Industry Ranking: No. 283 EJ's Ranking: Top 225-275 The Skinny: A tall, long safety at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. Physically i m p os i n g o n t h e back end with the frame to easily carry another 25 pounds. M ay n e e d s o m e time in the strength and conditioning program but could easily blossom into a hard-hitting enforcer in Ann Arbor. Loves to come up and strike. Fantastic tackler who spends a lot of time in the box. Has been a tackling machine as a senior for one of the top programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Still a work in progress as a cover safety but has im- proved his movement skills over the last year. Started his career as a wide receiver and is still fairly new to the secondary. Reminds Me Of: Former Michigan safety Makari Paige. I've said through- out the cycle that Deck is a better ver- sion of Paige, who was ranked in the same range as a recruit. Paige was also a tall, long box safety who had a very solid career in Ann Arbor. Expectations