The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2026 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL B rayden Watson was used to a typi- cal unofficial visit routine — tours, a practice, a linebackers meeting, and maybe a meal. He went into his Michi- gan visit with high expectations, but the details behind the entire experience blew him away. The Wolverines put him through ac- ademic meetings, told the three-star linebacker which player to watch closely during practice and sat down with him for conversations with head coach Kyle Whittingham, defensive coordinator Jay Hill and linebackers coach Alex Whit- tingham. When Watson arrived on campus, the entire staff wanted to build a relation- ship with him. Receivers and offensive line coaches stopped him for five-, 10-minute conversations. "It felt like I was already committed before I even committed," Watson said. "It was just a great feeling. The entire visit was a lot of fun, and I know I'm just so excited to go back." His sister, Ava, and her boyfriend, John Mobley Jr., both play basketball for Ohio State. When Watson traveled to Ann Arbor for a three-day visit in April, they made the trip with him. Their en- tire family felt extremely welcomed. Michigan made him feel wanted. "Regardless of where they go to school, they just treated them and took them in and cared for them as much as me," Watson said. "In all honesty, they kind of sent the house, it seemed like." Watson saw himself deciding in late May or in June during official visits. That's when he made his decision pub- lic, but turns out his mind was made up more than a month before. The Bu- ford (Ga.) High standout committed to Michigan after that first visit. He didn't announce anything and continued to build relationships with schools like Pittsburgh, a longtime con- tender, and Vanderbilt, an SEC program that made a late push. Michigan wanted him to officially commit at some point in May, and he saw no reason to wait. "I was kind of at that point where I just wanted to focus on Michigan, and I just know that's the place for me," Wat- son said. Watson caught up with The Wolverine shortly after his announce- ment and said he felt great. "I was just texting [with a friend]," Watson said. "I was like, 'Man, this is one of the best feelings ever.'" Michigan sees him playing a similar role to Chase Taylor in the Wolverine de- fense. Watson, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound linebacker, likes the sound of that plan. "He plays in space, and it's a very ver- satile role," Watson said. "I love that. That's my favorite part of my game. I love being versatile and doing a lot of different things. It just makes it so much fun." Watson also plays tight end for Bu- ford and is fairly new to linebacker after making a position switch from safety. The Wolverine pledge said he has a lot to learn still and thinks he's far from his peak as a player. Alex Whittingham offered him in January and made Watson a top priority on Michigan's linebacker board. Their relationship helped the Wolverines se- cure this early commitment. "He was the biggest part," Watson said. "Before I even took a visit up there, got on any type of plane, he was what made me so excited to go up there in the first place." Watson attended Victors Weekend and connected with his fellow commits during that trip. He already had a con- nection with offensive line pledge Louis Esposito. The longtime Michigan com- mit was at the same practice as Watson and struck up a conversation with the linebacker. "He was real cool," Watson said. "I'm ready to chop it up with him again. … I actually told him, 'I'm going to probably end up here.'" The linebacker hasn't officially shut down his recruitment, but he canceled his other official visits and wants to lock in fully on Michigan as he prepares to help lead Buford to a state champion- ship while setting an example as a senior leader. Watson wants to "pop off " as a senior, and he feels completely solid with the Wolverines after announcing his decision. "My focus is on Michigan," he said. "I know that's where I want to go." ❑ One Michigan Visit Was Enough For Linebacker Brayden Watson PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Watson is a two-way player for one of the top high school programs in the country. The Wolverine watched him practice earlier this month and left intrigued by his potential. He has a great frame and will develop into an imposing college athlete. Watson embraced physicality throughout the practice, both at tight end and linebacker. Buford asks him to cover slot receivers and rush the passer off the edge from his outside linebacker spot. He looks comfortable in space and diagnosed plays well when we saw him live, includ- ing a tackle for loss he recorded on a screen play." AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: There's just not much defensive film on Watson to evaluate. He plays a lot of tight end for Buford and is a converted safety with one year of linebacker experience. Watson is clearly a great athlete with plenty of traits that should translate well to his collegiate position, but we just haven't seen much of it on the field yet. We're keeping an eye on him as a potential breakout candidate this fall. PLAYER COMPARISON: Michigan linebacker Chase Taylor — Watson's length and athleti- cism remind us of Taylor, one of the more promising underclassmen on the roster right now. Michigan sees Watson playing a similar role in the defense. — Ethan McDowell Watson is the countr y's No. 46 linebacker and No. 74 player in Georgia per the Rivals Industry Rankings. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS