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.
Roanoka (VA) North Cross CB Jaziel Hart (image via QB Hit List)
2026
Tariq Boney - DE - Washington (DC) St. John's: Boney is a 6'2", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others. He's a 3-star, the #76 edge, and #916 overall.
Anthony Davis, Jr. - LB - Loganville (GA) Grayson: Davis is a 6'2", 200-pounder with officials set to Alabama and Auburn, and he also has offers from Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, USC, and others. He's a 4-star, the #20 linebacker, and #297 overall. With 105 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 interception as a junior in 2024, he has been invited to the Under Armour All-American Game.
Jaziel Hart - CB - Roanoke (VA) North Cross: Hart is a 5'11", 170 lb. prospect with officials set for Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech. He's currently unranked but with his offer list, he definitely should be.
Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin defensive tackle Brian Harris (3-star, #58 defensive lineman, #552 overall) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 290 lb. prospect who's listed as an edge in some places and looks pretty svelte, but his listed size of 6'3"-6'4" and 280-290 pounds suggests he'll end up as an interior defensive lineman. Harris visited Michigan last week. He has officials set up to Auburn, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Stanford, and West Virginia.
Tupelo (MS) Tupelo defensive end JaReylan McCoy (4-star, #13 defensive lineman, #119 overall) was offered by Michigan, and he also visited Ann Arbor this past weekend. He also has offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas, all of whom will receive official visits. Michigan has not landed a Mississippi prospect since Jeremy LeSueur over twenty years ago, so I won't get my hopes up.
Odebolt (IA) Odebolt-Arthur athlete Jaxx DeJean (5-star, #3 ATH, #21 overall) was offered by Michigan. If the name sounds familiar, that's because he's the younger brother of former Iowa Hawkeye defensive back Cooper DeJean, who recently had a pick-six for the Philadelphia Eagles against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Jaxx is a 6'6", 205 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Kansas State, UAB, and UNLV.
Denver (NC) East Lincoln tight end Jaxon Dollar (unranked) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 208-pounder with offers from Cincinnati, Florida State, Penn State, and South Carolina.
Sacramento (CA) Grant Union tight end Rahzario Edwards (unranked) was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 210 lb. prospect who has fielded offers from Florida, Ole Miss, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, and USC, among others.
Kory Amachree - RB - Haslett (MI) Haslett: Amachree is a 6'0", 195 lb. prospect with officials set to Indiana, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pitt, and Purdue. He's a 4-star, the #28 running back, and #367 overall. Michigan is in one some of the top few backs in the nation, but they could potentially turn to some other targets if the likes of Javian Osborne and Savion Hiter don't work out.
Simeon Caldwell - S - Jacksonville (FL) The Bolles School: Caldwell is a 6'3", 185-pounder with officials set for Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC. He's a 4-star, the #7 linebacker, and #95 overall in the 247 Composite. He could potentially outgrow the safety position and end up at linebacker on the next level.
Chace Calicut - S - Houston (TX) North Shore: Calicut is a 6'3", 190 lb. prospect with officials set for Michigan, Texas, and Washington. He's a 4-star, the #14 safety, and #168 overall.
RETURNING PLAYERS: Kechaun Bennett (RS Sr.), Rayshaun Benny (RS Sr.), T.J. Guy (RS Sr.), Ike Iwunnah (RS Sr.), Tyler McLaurin (RS Sr.), Derrick Moore (Sr.), Chibi Anwunah (RS Jr.), Joey Klunder (RS Jr.), Alessandro Lorenzetti (RS Jr.), Trey Pierce (Jr.), Enow Etta (RS So.), Aymeric Koumba (RS So.), Devon Baxter (RS Fr.), Edgard Lugopayi (RS Fr.), Dominic Nichols (RS Fr.) NEWCOMERS: Damon Payne (RS Sr.), Tre Williams (RS Sr.), Julius Holly (Fr.), Travis Moten (Fr.) DEPARTURES: Mason Graham (NFL Draft), Kenneth Grant (NFL Draft), Josaiah Stewart (NFL Draft)
OUTLOOK: Ahhhhh . . . defensive line. This is the place where Michigan fans can all take a deep breath of the happy, fresh air, where things are all fine and dandy. Michigan has had a long line of quality defensive linemen who have been fun to watch, going back years, including Chase Winovich, Maurice Hurst Jr., Ryan Glasgow, Kwity Paye, etc. More recently, we've seen Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, and Mason Graham star on the defensive line. Last year it was Graham and Grant - both of whom are projected to be 1st rounders - who really held down the middle of the line, stymying Ohio State's rushing attack and helping Michigan preserve that sweet, sweet, 13-10 victory.
This year Michigan might have to hold its breath a little bit.
With Graham and Grant off to the NFL, Michigan has to hope someone will develop at defensive tackle who doesn't have a great track record yet. Rayshaun Benny has already played great at times, and barring injury, he should once again be a force. Otherwise, it will be up to fifth year senior Ike Iwunnah (7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss in 2024), junior Trey Pierce (7 tackles), redshirt sophomore Enow Etta (4 tackles, 0.5 sacks), and a couple transfers to get it done inside. Luckily, the transfers were pretty good recruits. On the not-so-great side, they weren't super productive at their previous stops. Alabama transfer Damon Payne (14 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and Clemson transfer Tre Williams (14 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks) are not stars like Graham and Grant, but they're veteran additions.
The most impressive aspect and the biggest sign for hope is that this is a veteran-heavy position group. Altogether, the defensive line room boasts seven (7!!!) fifth-year seniors and four fourth-year players, the latter group including a couple former walk-ons in Joey Klunder and Chibi Anwunah. At a position in the trenches where physical maturity is at a premium, if you can't win with pure talent, it's at least good to have size, strength, and mental maturity.
On the edges, Michigan will miss Josaiah Stewart, an undersized player who won a ton of his matchups and played tougher than his 6'1", 245 lb. frame would indicate. But rising senior Derrick Moore (23 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks) and fifth year senior T.J. Guy (32 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks) both played well in the bowl game against Alabama; Moore came on in that game after being pretty quiet throughout the regular season, but Guy was solid for most of the year. Those two players should lead the way, but Michigan did not land any reinforcements in the transfer portal and will need to count on some young players to rotate in and find some success.
Redshirt sophomore Aymeric Koumba looks the part, and Michigan brought in a really talented trio in 2024 with Lugard Edokpayi, Devon Baxter, and Dominic Nichols. Nichols looked like he belonged, making 3 tackles in five games (one was the bowl game, so he preserved his redshirt). But there's plenty of opportunity here for help at the edge positions to step up in the spring and stake a claim for playing time this fall.
Overall, this is a veteran group that should be solid and deep. In fact, I can't think of a Michigan team that has had this much experience. The real question is the top-end talent and whether someone who will step up who can make consistent big plays in crunch time, something guys like Mason Graham, Josaiah Stewart, Aidan Hutchinson, and others have been able to do.
Favour Akih - RB - Delaware (OH) Rutherford B. Hayes: Akih is a 6'0", 190 lb. prospect with officials visits set for Miami, Pitt, and USC. He's a 4-star, the #15 running back, and #205 overall. He will be on campus on March 18.
Mason Bonner - TE - Denver (CO) Mullen: Bonner is a 6'6", 200-pounder with offers from Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas Tech, and others. He has official visits set for Michigan and Minnesota. He's currently ranked as a 247 Sports 3-star and the #38 tight end in the class. He will be in Ann Arbor most of next week, from March 17-20.
Trenton Henderson - DE - Pensacola (FL) Catholic: Henderson is a 6'4", 225 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and others. He's a 4-star, the #8 EDGE, and #79 overall. He has official visits set for UF, FSU, 'Bama, Vandy, and Auburn, so Michigan is playing a little from behind to try to get an official visit set up. He will be in Ann Arbor on the 17th.
