The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING I know Coach [Kyle] Whittingham re- ally well. Utah was my second scholar- ship. My brother almost went there. I'm comfortable with him. I'm also familiar with Michigan. I visited there. I really like Michigan as a school and a program. I like the area. They got their DC [Jay Hill] from BYU. There is just a lot of familiarity." As Lyons mentioned, new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham recruited him during his time at Utah. "I think it's a great hire for Michi- gan," Lyons said. "The type of football he's going to coach fits Michigan — the physicality and how they are going to play violent." Lyons also had praise for new Michi- gan offensive coordinator Jason Beck. "Utah had a really explosive offensive this year," Lyons said. "They did really good with a quarterback who can run and throw the ball — very similar to me." Lyons, the No. 5 quarterback and No. 43 overall recruit nationally, will serve his mission in Orlando and hopes to work closely with Spanish speaking communities. While his time to train for football will be very limited, Lyons is excited about the opportunity to fully immerse himself in his faith. "I'm very excited to take a step back, ground myself and realize it's all God's plan," Lyons said. "Ultimately, football is a big part of my life, but my relation- ship with my heavenly father is most important." — EJ Holland 2027 COMMIT TRISTAN DARE UPDATES HIS STATUS Tristan Dare found out about Sher- rone Moore's firing on his way out to practice. The Michigan offensive line commit was in the final stretch of a state playoff run, and his recruitment sud- denly shifted underneath him. He pledged to the Wolverines in Au- gust, shutting down his recruitment early after taking a summer trip to Ann Arbor. Dare, a three-star junior out of Southlake (Texas) Carroll High, re- turned to campus for a couple of game days and remained solid with U-M. The coaching change shocked him, but Utah offered him early on in his recruitment after offensive line coach Standout junior quarterback Ryder Lyons, the No. 5 signal caller in the country and a BYU commit, will serve a one-year church mission after graduating from high school and may consider Michigan on his return. PHOTO BY BILLY EMBODY/RIVALS ❱ 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) 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) 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) 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) ❱ Michigan's 2027 Commit List Name Rivals Rating* Pos. Ht. Wt. High School Peter Bourque HHHH QB 6-4 195 Tabor Academy (Hingham, Mass.) Recarder Kitchen HHHH EDGE 6-5 240 Muskegon (Mich.) High Tristan Dare HHH IOL 6-4 260 Southlake (Texas) Carroll Louis Esposito HHH IOL 6-4 255 Saline (Mich.) High * Player rating as of Jan. 12