Jaylen Pile, Wolverine

 

Ronald Bellamy and Jaylen Pile (image via SI)

Dallas (TX) Parish Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Pile committed to Michigan back in October of 2024. I did not do a write-up on him at the time, but he picked the Wolverines over offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others.

Pile is listed at 6'0" and 175 lbs. As a junior in 2024, he caught 63 passes for 1,367 yards and 19 touchdowns. He's the son of former Virginia Tech and NFL safety Willie Pile.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 3-star WR
On3: 3-star, 87 grade, #151 WR
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #9 WR, #217 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, 85 grade, #178 WR

Hit the jump for more.

Pile is on the smaller side for a Michigan receiver, listed at 6'0" and 175 lbs. but probably more like 5'10" or 5'11". He has good acceleration off the line and eats up cushion. He also accelerates through the catch when possible and does not need to slow down to catch the ball. There are times where he flashes his hands late, making it difficult for defensive backs to gauge when the ball is arriving when they don't have their eyes on the ball, too. He makes contested catches and isn't afraid of contact. He's also a high-effort runner after the catch and with his low center of gravity, he can run through an arm tackle here or there.

Highlights don't show a very advanced route tree, and I would like to see a little more variety there; he shows the agility to be a good route runner, but we don't see him setting up different routes. There are also no clips of him blocking, so that is also up in the air. As mentioned above, he lacks great size, so he will have to make hay with his route running and separation at the next level.

Overall, Pile looks like a solid possession receiver from the slot with some possible upside as an occasional big-play receiver if he can break a tackle here or there. When I was watching him, I couldn't help thinking of former SMU receiver James Proche, who went off for 11 catches, 166 yards, and 2 touchdowns against Michigan in 2018. I even went back and watched some of Proche's high school highlights (LINK), and I think the comparison stands. Proche was a 6th round pick in 2020 and has spent the past five seasons with the Ravens, Browns, and now Titans, making a total of 28 catches for 299 yards in the league.

Pile is the lone receiver so far in the 2026 class and one of three commits, along with cornerback Brody Jennings and offensive guard Bear McWhorter. He would be the first player to play for Michigan from Parish Episcopal.

TTB Rating: 73