The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 BY EJ HOLLAND AND ETHAN MCDOWELL T he early signing period is officially in the review mirror. Michigan fin- ished with 25 signees and the No. 12 ranked recruiting class nationally going into the late signing period, per the Ri- vals Industry team recruiting rankings. Here are The Wolverine's early signing period superlatives. Best Signee This one obviously comes down to five-star edge Carter Meadows or five- star running back Savion Hiter. We are going with the latter. Ranked as the No. 1 running back and No. 10 over- all prospect in the country, Hiter is the pound-for-pound best commit in this class and has an argument as the best player in the country. He was dominant as a senior and showed a blend of elite speed, power and vision. Hiter, an early enrollee, will arrive at U-M as one of the most antici- pated recruits in recent memory. The Mineral (Va.) Louisa County prod- uct will make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor and have a chance to develop into a first-round draft pick. Hiter reminds us of top NFL ball carrier Bijan Robinson. Biggest Sleeper Michigan didn't land a high-end prospect at the linebacker position this cycle, but Richmond (Va.) Huguenot's Markel Dabney could be a huge steal for the Wolverines. The three-star prospect was a priority at the beginning of the cycle for a reason. While he's still raw as an actual line- backer, Dabney checks a lot of boxes. He can run sideline to sideline, is physical and has added some really good weight to his frame. His athleticism is off the charts, too. He has experience playing running back, wide receiver, nickel and safety. Overall, Dabney will need develop- ment, but his upside is sky-high. Immediate Impact Signee It's no secret Michigan needs help in the wide receiver room. The Wolverines are getting that in the form of Chesa- peake (Va.) Oscar Smith prospect Travis Johnson. Johnson, the No. 14 wide receiver and No. 112 overall prospect nationally, is a big bodied wide receiver at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds who wins with finesse and athleticism. A plus basketball player, Johnson can jump out of the gym. He also has an impressive catch radius and runs routes like a small guy. His ability to bend in and out of breaks at his size is extremely impres- sive. Johnson, an early enrollee, has the tools to have an Andrew Marsh-like im- pact for Michigan next season. Future Team Captain This one has to go to five-star Wash- ington (D.C.) Gonzaga edge Carter Meadows. Not only is Meadows a terror on the field, he's also a prospect with high character who truly embodies what it means to be a Michigan Man. Meadows is a star student, a pillar in his community and really stepped up as a vocal leader for his team as a senior. His play on the field does a lot of talking, too. Meadows, the No. 2 edge and No. 6 overall recruit nationally, put it all to- gether this season, displaying elite bend, athleticism and power as well as freaky length. He's a future star and leader. Honorable mention goes to Rivals300 Frisco (Texas) Lone Star safety Jordan Deck. We expect him to be a captain, too. Fastest Man You could go with Hiter here since he ran an 11.1 100-meter time as a fresh- man. He may be down into the 10.7s by now. But since he doesn't have updated times, let's go with Rivals300 Cart- ersville (Ga.) High wide receiver Brady Marchese, who has the fastest verified time in the class with a 10.92 100-meter dash. That's a faster than every wide receiver on Michigan's roster ran as a junior or senior. ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan's Signing Day Superlatives Carter Meadows, a 6-6½, 236-pound edge, was the highest-rated player in U-M's class, ranking as the No. 2 prospect at his position and the No. 6 overall recruit and nationally in the Rivals Industry Rankings. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND