The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
48 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING school leagues in A m e r i c a . P l aye d out of position at ta c k l e b u t m o re than held his own against elite pass rushers. Plays with high- l e ve l te c h n i q u e . Wins with hand placement and lever- age. Not the most impressive frame at 6-foot-2.5, 295 pounds but showed flashes of good athleticism and strength. High football IQ. Will transition to cen- ter at the next level and could play some guard as well. Reminds Me Of: Kansas offensive lineman Amir Herring. A Michigan transfer, Herring also excelled as a tackle against good competition at the high school level but was very clearly going to play in the interior of the offensive line. Like Herring, Hamilton is a smart player with good intangibles. He'll likely sit for a while before competing for a starting spot late in his career. 19. QB Brady Smigiel NEWBURY PARK (CALIF.) HIGH Industry Ranking: No. 402 EJ's Ranking: Mid three-star The Skinny: Smigiel began his ca- re e r a s a h i g h ly touted prep quar- terback. Dropped in the rankings over the years when he didn't develop as expected. Tall, big-framed pocket passer who can command an offense and make the safe throws short and intermediate with accuracy. Lacks elite arm strength but not incapable of pushing the ball downfield. Struggled with turnovers as a senior before suffering a torn ACL. Showed improved athleticism in and around the pocket but not a real threat with his legs. Older for his grade with a very limited ceiling. Reminds Me Of: Michigan quarter- back Jake Garcia. Smigiel and Garcia have different frames but share a lot of similarities. Like Smigiel, Garcia was a much ballyhooed recruit early in the process. While he didn't see his rankings tank, he hasn't lived up to expectations at the next level. Garcia has bounced around college football and was a depth piece at U-M this season. 20. OL Tommy Fraumann WILMETTE (ILL.) LOYOLA ACADEMY Industry Ranking: No. 865 EJ's Ranking: Mid three-star The Skinny: Another late addition to the class, Frau- mann is an intrigu- ing tackle prospect with a quality frame at 6-foot-7 and 250 p o u n d s. H a s t h e room to add any- where from 50 to 70 pounds. Will need to improve strength and de- velop for multiple years before making an impact. True towering tackle who uses his height and length to his advan- tage in pass protection. Not overly ath- letic and can work on technique. Shows toughness when run blocking and fin- ishes blocks. A project who could turn into something down the line. Also a U-M legacy who will fit into the culture. Reminds Me Of: Pitt offensive line- man Jeff Persi. A Michigan transfer, Persi was also a towering tackle who was on the thin side and needed to add weight as well as develop. Persi did play in 41 games at Michigan, earning three starts at tackle, before transferring to Pitt. Fraumann could have a similar im- pact during his time in Ann Arbor. 21. LB Kaden Catchings JACKSON (MISS.) HARTFIELD Industry Ranking: No. 1,001 EJ's Ranking: Low three-star The Skinny: Intriguing linebacker who has the ath- leticism to turn into something down the road. Still very raw as an actual line- backer. Has good sideline-to-sideline speed but can often get lost. Doesn't sift through traffic well but is physical when meeting ball carriers. Also plays a lot of running back and could end up making the move to the offensive side of the ball. Reminds Me Of: Liberty linebacker Deuce Spurlock. Like Catchings, Spur- lock was an unheralded linebacker from the deep south. He signed with Michi- gan before transferring to Florida and eventually landing at Liberty, where Catchings was originally committed. Both Spurlock and Catchings were raw high school linebackers who flashed at running back. 22. RB Jonathan Brown COLUMBUS (OHIO) ST. FRANCIS DESALES Industry Ranking: No. 754 EJ's Ranking: Low three-star The Skinny: A project take at the running back posi- tion for Michigan. Had strong test- i n g n u m b e r s a t M i c h i ga n 's s u m - mer camp, which resulted in an offer. R a n a ve r i f i e d 4.55 40-yard-dash and posted a 40-inch vertical. Also a strong baseball player. Very raw, up- right runner and will likely need years of development. Metrics don't trans- late to the field right now. Needs to run with more power and improve his vi- sion. Could end up making the tran- sition to linebacker if running back doesn't work out. Reminds Me Of: Former Florida Atlantic athlete DeAndre McNeal. It was tough to find a true comparison for Brown. McNeal came to mind because he had impressive testing times and played everywhere from running back to wide receiver to defensive lineman to linebacker after starting his career at Texas. McNeal was a project in the same mold as Brown. 23. WR Jaylen Pile DALLAS PARISH EPISCOPAL Industry Ranking: No. 1,198 EJ's Ranking: Low three-star The Skinny: An early take for Michi- gan who projects as a true slot receiver. Natural pass catcher with good ball skills. Consistently gets open under-