Honolulu (HI) Kamehameha offensive tackle Malakai Lee committed to Michigan on Friday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and numerous others.
Lee is listed at 6'6", 318 lbs.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #31 OT, #263 overall
On3: 4-star, 92 grade, #9 OT, #85 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.9 grade, #12 OT, #128 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #10 OT, #137 overall
Hit the jump for more.
Lee has long been a priority for Michigan, and Michigan has been a priority for him. He came all the way from Hawaii multiple times for unofficial visits before taking an official on Victors Weekend last weekend, and offensive line coach Grant Newsome made four trips to Hawaii to see him throughout the recruiting process. Throughout the recruitment, Lee talked about the tradition of Michigan's offensive line and his connection to Newsome. Despite taking officials to other powerhouse football programs, it seemed like a choice other than Michigan would be surprising.
Lee is a mammoth human being, which you can see in pictures when he's standing next to coaches and offensive linemen. (The picture at the top of this post shows him towering over former Oklahoma offensive lineman Sherrone Moore.) However, he's not carrying much bad weight at all, and he looks like a slab of muscle. That size translates to an ability to outmuscle and overwhelm opponents, and he does a good job of working his hips around on reach blocks and sealing off defenders. He shows an ability to bend well and get low on down blocks well enough to cave down a 4i or 3-tech. His pass protection is adequate and his long arms help keep defenders off of him; with his well proportioned weight, he's able to anchor well and not get bulled back.
There are times where Lee plays too high, both in pass protection and in run blocking. Sometimes he can get lackadaisical with his footwork in pass pro, narrowing his feet to the point where a solid college defensive end could bull rush him. He has the athleticism to get out front on screens or pull on counters, tackle traps, and dart plays, but I would like to see him work on his aiming point when pulling and then settling his hips lower to make better contact as he leads through the hole.
Overall, Lee is an excellent prospect with a ton of upside. His build reminds me of former Michigan offensive tackle Ben Braden, but Lee is more polished at the same stage in their career and is more athletic overall. Braden went undrafted but then spent six years bouncing around the NFL. I think Lee is a superior player and will end up having a career somewhat like Myles Hinton, who had the ability to play left tackle and right tackle and ended up being taken in the 6th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Michigan is building an excellent offensive line room, and the next couple years look like the most talented offensive line group I can remember being at Michigan. If the coaching staff and NIL collectives can keep this group together - including the likes of Andrew Babalola, Andrew Sprague, Bear McWhorter, Ty Haywood, Lee, etc. - it should be one of the top few units in the country for the next few years.
Lee is the third offensive line commitment in the class of 2026, where he joins McWhorter and recent commit Marky Walbridge. He would be the first Hawaiian to sign with Michigan since wide receiver Roman Wilson in 2020 and the first ever Wolverine from Kamehameha.
TTB Rating: 83
Welcome big fella!
ReplyDeleteGO BLUE
I like that 55 on him. Hope it sticks.
ReplyDeleteThe offensive line bumps up the rest of the Offense skill positions by ONE star.
ReplyDeleteThe 4star RB is now a 5star.
The 4 Star QB is now a 5 star.
Dominate the line and everything is so much easier.
Yep. OL is critical. I would say the difference is more like 2 stars for a RB. Can make a 5 star look like a 3 star and a 3 star look like a 5 star.
DeleteSeems like a pretty big deal. Those physical traits are 1st round NFL material
ReplyDelete