The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
MARCH 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 37 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL Michigan's coaching change spawned feelings of stress and doubt throughout the program's 2026 recruiting class. Ri- vals300 offensive lineman Marky Wal- bridge watched a bunch of teams rush back into his recruitment. The nation's No. 231 prospect out of Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian's had plenty of options if he wanted to look elsewhere. He planned on moving to Ann Arbor as an early enrollee when he signed with the Wolverines Dec. 3 and spent the previous six months completely locked in. His family talked through his options and why the pro- gram appealed to them in the first place. Walbridge picked Michigan over Boston College, Alabama and Penn State. "This is what I know is not going to change about Michigan — their edu- cation, your life aer football, and it's Michigan," Marky's mother Juliann Walbridge said. "It's Michigan foot- ball." The Wolverines hired Kyle Whitting- ham aer a 16-day coaching search, and Marky locked in from there, his mother recalled. I'm going. You are going? I'm going. Just days later, the Walbridge family boarded a flight to Ann Arbor. Marky moved in the first weekend of Janu- ary with 13 other early enrollees. Rivals considers him the No. 17 interior offen- sive lineman in the nation. "I think spending time with the play- ers who were in the program — and still are in the program — made a huge dif- ference," Juliann said. "He connected with them. I think he really resonated with a lot of the guys. "Again, it's Michigan. It's a wonderful education. Did other schools still chat with him until they couldn't? Yes. Did the coaching change cause a big, stress- ful time? Yes, but I'm glad it all worked out. I'm glad he's there, and he's really happy." This recruiting class and their fami- lies grew very close during the pro- cess. Juliann spoke highly of everyone she met around the campus, especially the parents. She felt great about leav- ing Marky in Ann Arbor aer seeing how the upper-class offensive linemen, particularly Andrew Sprague and Blake Frazier, welcomed him to Ann Arbor. "I could see he felt really good with those guys, and it was really impressive that they would take the time to walk over, have a conversation with him and let him know anything he needs, they're there for him," Juliann said. Marky avoided the recruiting spot- light for the entirety of his recruitment. At one point, he just stopped posting the offers he received from coaching staffs all over the country. No one with a recruiting interest knows much about the mauling lineman. Juliann described him as "hard work- ing, driven, a supportive teammate and a quiet leader." Michigan's previous staff recruited him to play tackle, and retaining him was a huge win for of- fensive line coach Jim Harding and the Wolverines. ❑ Early Enrollee Marky Walbridge Is The Nation's No. 17 Interior Offensive Lineman MARKY WALBRIDGE OFFENSIVE LINE 6-6 • 285 ST. SEBASTIAN'S SCHOOL HANOVER, MASS. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 247 18 2 ✪✪✪✪ 231 17 2 ✪✪✪✪ 155 19 2 ✪✪✪ — 72 4 STATISTICS • Credited with allowing zero sacks through his sophomore (2023) and junior (2024) seasons. • Part of an Arrows offense that averaged 20 points per game in 2025 and 28.5 in 2024. HONORS • Earned PrepStar All-Eastern Region honors in 2025. • MHSFCA Super 26 All-State honoree as a junior in 2024. • An All-NEPSAC offensive line pick in 2024 and 2025. • NEPSAC Class B Lineman of the Year in 2025. • New England Independent School League's Souza/Healy Lineman of the Year in 2024. • All-Scholastics Honoree (2024 and '25). RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan June 25, 2025. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Penn State, Boston College, Alabama and Wisconsin. DID YOU KNOW? • Four-year varsity letter winner and starter at left tackle. • Began his career at Hanover High School (one season) before transferring to St. Sebastian's. • Also lettered in basketball at St. Sebastian's. • Son of Mark and Juliann Walbridge. • Born March 6, 2007. THEY SAID IT U-M 2027 quarterback commit Peter Bourque: "I'm super excited to play on the same side of the ball because he's a mean dude. He's a stud, and he's great on defense as well. He's an immovable object out there." 2026 PROJECTION Walbridge needs to add weight to his 6-foot-6 frame, and he will have the chance to do just that as an early enrollee. The future left tackle could also play some guard if needed after adding mass to his frame. He's a redshirt candidate next fall. Walbridge was named the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class B Lineman of the Year in 2025. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND