The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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48 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2026 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL Michigan head coach Kyle Whitting- ham reached out to Jaylen Pile the day of the team's bowl game on Dec. 31. Just a few days aer officially leaving Utah for Ann Arbor, he prioritized a conversation with the Wolverine wide receiver pledge. Pile was in the middle of a training ses- sion, so he actually missed the call. They connected the next day and started to build a relationship from there. The Dal- las Parish Episcopal standout capped his prep career with a state championship right before the coaching change. "It's a really exciting experience for me, and I'm just so excited to finally be a Michigan man," Pile said aer winning the state title. "It means the world to me that they view me and see me as being somebody who can play at Michigan and make an impact in Ann Arbor." He's the longest-standing commit of U-M's 2026 class. Despite the tur- moil that surrounded the program in the weeks leading up to his move-in date, he remained solid with the Wolverines. His mother, Keia Pile, said the program's transparency and honesty throughout the process — led by interim head coach Biff Poggi — stood out. "It was definitely something no one anticipated and no one expected, but Michigan was really good about commu- nication," Keia said. Jaylen caught 56 passes for 1,212 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 21.6 yards per reception. Schools tried to work their way into the mix before signing day, but he remained solid with U-M, locking in on ending his time at Parish on the highest possible note just a few days aer signing with the Wolver- ines. "That's where my heart was," Pile said before the coaching change. "That's where I want my home to be, and just being able to do it this week and win this state cham- pionship game means the world to me." Utah offered Jaylen early in his recruit- ing process, and Whittingham reached out quickly to build their personal rela- tionship. The stars really started to align when Michigan hired its receivers coach- es. Micah Simon is from Dallas and worked with Jaylen's current trainer. Marques Hagans recruited the Michigan early enrollee at Penn State and played quarterback at Virginia when Keia was also a student there. "Once those hires started to happen, it really just fell in place for us," Keia said. "It was the best scenario possible. Both receiver coaches, Jaylen had some type of connection or relationship with al- ready. It's been a really good transition for Jaylen." Move-in week went super smoothly for the Pile family. The receiver will spend this semester in an apartment with quar- terback Brady Smigiel and offensive line- man Marky Walbridge. The new coaches met one-on-one with the early enrollees during their first few days on campus, and Whittingham hosted a big welcome event as well. "The boys were fired up," Keia said. "The parents were fired up because that's why we came to Michigan. Obviously, a great education, great sports, campus is beautiful. All the things you came to Michigan for, it was just seamless." ❑ Texas Receiver Jaylen Pile Picked Michigan For All The Right Reasons Pile amassed 3,006 yards receiving in his career, helping lead Parish Episcopal to two state championships (2023 and 2025) in the past three seasons. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL JAYLEN PILE WIDE RECEIVER 6-0 • 195 PARISH EPISCOPAL SCHOOL GRAPEVINE, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪ 1,219 185 166 ✪✪✪ — 147 132 ✪✪✪ — 258 242 ✪✪✪ — 130 132 STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD 2025 55 1,186 15 2024 63 1,367 19 2023 16 427 5 HONORS • Earned PrepStar All-Southwest Region honors in 2025. • Two-time first-team all-state selection (2024 and '25). • Dallas Morning News second-team All-Area as senior. • Named district co-offensive player of the year and a first-team all-district honoree in 2024. • 2024 Padilla Poll Coaches DI Private School All-State first team wide receiver, 2025 DI Private School Offensive Player of the Year. • All-North Texas High School Football 2024 sec- ond-team wide receiver. • Dave Campbell's Texas Football Top 100 hon- oree (2025). RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Oct. 17, 2024. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Okla- homa, Arkansas, Virginia Tech and Penn State. DID YOU KNOW? • A two-way contributor who played as a defen- sive back, wide receiver and return specialist for the Panthers. • Amassed almost 3,500 all-purpose yards and 40 touchdowns during his career, including 3,006 yards receiving. • Three-year letter winner who played in the state title game in each of his three varsity sea- sons, winning the championship as a sophomore in 2023 and senior in 2025. • Also lettered in track and field (sprints). • Son of Willie and Keia Pile. • Father, Willie, played at Virginia Tech (1999- 2002), in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys (2003-04), in NFL Europe (2004) and in the CFL (2007-2011). • Born April 4, 2008. THEY SAID IT Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire: "Pile does a good job of catching the ball away from his frame. He is very comfortable plucking the football. He has a nice frame and can add some more weight. He has to become more nuanced in boxing out defenders and being more physical at the top of his routes instead of trying to separate with twitch and suddenness." 2026 PROJECTION Michigan's receiver room looks pretty crowded now after a busy transfer portal cycle that also included the critical retention of star freshman Andrew Marsh. Pile has the versatility to play outside but projects as a slot receiver at the next level — where he could compete for snaps early in his college career. He has a college- ready frame and enrolled early but, given the depth in the room, he's a redshirt candidate.