The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Marchese is set to bring some much- needed speed to Ann Arbor. In fact, he is the first wide receiver recruit with a verified sub-11 time since the 2022 re- cruiting cycle. The late flip from Geor- gia can play inside or outside at U-M, and he shares plenty of similarities with former U-M wideout Roman Wilson. Most Athletic We all probably need to talk more about Alister Vallejo. Michigan beat out Notre Dame to land his commitment in June. He has flown a bit under the radar since then, while quietly making a sig- nificant jump up the recruiting rankings to No. 171 overall nationally. The Liberty Hill (Texas) High standout checks in at 6-3, 310 pounds. He's the heaviest of U-M's six defensive line sign- ees, but you wouldn't know that when watching how he moves on the gridiron. His quickness at that size is eye-popping. Vallejo explodes into the backfield and is way faster than the opposing interior of- fensive linemen he goes up against. U-M's defensive line class is packed w i t h b l u e - c h i p p ro s p e c ts, b u t a 300-pound athlete moving like Vallejo is rare and deserves recognition. He re- corded 66 stops (35 solo) with 16 tackles for loss and 4 sacks this fall. He is not an early enrollee, so it might take a little time for him to contribute, but he could develop into a star in Ann Arbor. Most Physical Marky Walbridge is bigger, faster and stronger than most of the competition he goes up against in New England. He's also just a whole lot nastier. The 6-6, 285-pound offensive lineman plays with an edge that's fun to watch. He will drive defenders to the sideline and sit them down on the bench, playing through the whistle. Walbridge plays left tackle for Needham (Mass.) St. Se- bastian's School, and we saw him go up against Rivals300 Tennessee signee Carter Gooden. Both players won reps, but Walbridge looked strong against the future SEC pass rusher. He also plays nose tackle on defense and blocked two kicks when we saw him this fall. Bear McWhorter was the original pick for this category, but he reopened his recruitment after Michigan fired Sher- rone Moore. Most Versatile Three-star linebacker Aden Reeder was an intriguing late addition to the line- backer class. He's 6-2, 215 pounds and plays outside linebacker for Cincinnati St. Xavier, one of the state's elite prep pro- grams. The U-M signee spends most of his time on the edge, and he has the frame to battle with high school offensive tackles. Once he adds weight at the college level, he will have the versatility to do so in Ann Arbor too. He's a quick and strong pass rusher, who impressed The Wolver- ine with how he knocked offensive line- men off the line of scrimmage. Despite his skill set on the edge, U-M sees him as an inside linebacker. He could play either Mike or Will in Ann Arbor. He drops back into coverage plenty with St. Xavier and plays well in space. He's a strong tackler with good instincts. He could develop into a valu- able chess piece for the coaching staff to move all over the field. Best Peer Recruiter Jaylen Pile is the longest-standing commit in the class, and he played a huge role in this 2026 cycle coming together like it did. He was always on campus, making the trip up to Ann Ar- bor from Dallas, and other commits gravitated towards him. He struck up a friendship with quarter- back Brady Smigiel and tight ends Matt Ludwig and Mason Bonner and planned to room with that group before Ludwig decommitted. He's extremely passion- ate about Michigan, and that energy was infectious this recruiting cycle. ❏ Rivals ranks Savion Hiter (left) as the No. 1 running back and No. 10 overall prospect in the coun- try. Markel Dabney (right) is a three-star linebacker who could be the steal of the class based on his athleticism and upside potential. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND