Michigan football gains 3-star LB Markel Dabney from SMU after secret visit for 2026 class
BREAKING: Class of 2026 LB Markel Dabney has Flipped his Commitment from SMU to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruitsThe 6'1 210 LB from Richmond, VA had been Committed to the Mustangs since May 13'We just getting started, let's work #GoBlue'https://t.co/fWnvyhtBC3 pic.twitter.com/Qf8evOjqnw
Recruiting is really in full swing for Michigan football now that we're getting to the end of the late spring cycle. While it took a while for the maize and blue to start garnering commitments, the class is starting to build and its getting bigger by the day.
One place that the Wolverines have sought talent, somewhat fruitlessly (at least in terms of garnering commitments) is the linebacker position. There are several key players still left on the board, but Michigan quietly coveted one linebacker committed to another school who secretly made an official visit last week.
The maize and blue were in the thick of it for 2026 Richmond (Va.) Huguenot three-star Markel Dabney, but Dabney made an unexpected pledge to SMU back in May. Brian Jean-Mary and the staff didn't give up however, getting him back on campus with the official visit. However, Pitt also got to be in contention for the three-star, so he opted to update his recruitment, noting he'd have a June 21 decision.
That decision never came, as Dabney went on a cruise, per On3's EJ Holland. Once he returned, Dabney made his decision, and he ended up committing to Michigan football, making him the 15th pledge of the class.
Here is the updated commitment list for the maize and blue:
Dabney is rated a three-star across the board, but Michigan football has made him a priority target, much like it had eventual signee Chase Taylor a year ago.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Georgia football secures massive 4-star commitment over Texas, Michigan
The post Georgia football secures massive 4-star commitment over Texas, Michigan appeared first on ClutchPoints. Kirby Smart and Georgia football didn't hang her heads for long after a disappointing finish to last season, as the Bulldogs were soundly beaten by Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl. Instead, as he always does, Smart got right back to work building another contender for the 2025 season and beyond. Advertisement Georgia did some good work in the transfer portal to bolster the roster heading into next season, but they have also been hard at work on the recruiting trail stocking the cupboard for the future. Georgia got another big-time commitment in the class of 2026 on Friday, securing a commitment from four-star defensive back Chace Calicut, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports. 'BREAKING: Four-Star CB Chace Calicut has Committed to Georgia, he tells me for @on3recruits,' Fawcett wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'The 6'3 195 CB from Houston, TX chose the Bulldogs over Texas and Michigan.' Calicut also sent a message to Bulldogs fans to celebrate his commitment. 'There's not a better program producing dbs than UGA,' he said. 'Dawg nation I'm home!' Advertisement Getting a talented defensive back is a big win for Smart and the Dawgs, but it will be even sweeter for them considering that Texas, one of their biggest rivals, was also in on the coveted corner. Calicut is a Texas native, so this is a very impressive feat for Smart to steal him away from Steve Sarkisian and company. Following this commitment, Georgia now has the No. 3 overall class in 2026, according to On3 Sports. That group is currently headlined by five-star quarterback Jared Curtis and includes a number of highly sought-after players all over the field. While it comes as no surprise to see the Bulldogs near the top of those rankings as they do seemingly every year, that doesn't make it any less impressive. In the meantime, Georgia football will be pushing for another national title in 2025 while Calicut plays his final season at North Shore High School. It certainly has the talent to do so, and now it is better set up to continue the run through the end of the decade. Related: South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers drops 'cool' take on lucrative NFL hype Related: Michigan football secures a pair of commits over Georgia, Texas, and SMU
New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Big nights from Brooks Lee, David Festa, Byron Buxton pace Twins over Tigers
DETROIT — He always looks for a fastball to hit, but Brooks Lee really wanted this one. Batting with the schizophrenic Twins ahead by two runs in the sixth inning Friday night against the first-place Detroit Tigers, Lee hoped to provide his team and pitcher a little breathing room. Similar to his performance the past month, Lee achieved his goal. Rather than try to do too much with a four-seam fastball, Lee stayed up the middle with his approach and deposited a single in center field to drive in a crucial run. Advertisement Lee's two run-scoring hits, a sterling performance by David Festa, another big game from Byron Buxton and even a run-scoring bunt paced the Twins to a 4-1 victory in the series opener at Comerica Park, the team's third straight victory. Festa struck out six in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Buxton belted his 18th homer and stole a base and Lee stayed red hot. Despite losing 11 of 12 before their current win streak, the Twins are only two games back of the final spot in what remains a wide-open American League wild-card race. 'He's showing a lot of different tricks and different adjustments he can make,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Lee. 'He looks really comfortable. He always looks like he knows what to do next. You have to be on your toes because pitchers are going to make a lot of good adjustments. … When they've done that, he's done different things. He's come right back at them.' Lee has done many things over the past month for the Twins. Almost all could be described as wonderful. While the stretch hasn't been perfect — Lee recently had a rough defensive day, and there was the game-ending strikeout Sunday in which he didn't run out the play to first base — it's been pretty close. Since May 28, Lee has hit safely in 25 of 26 games, including a 20-game hitting streak which ended Sunday with the aforementioned strikeout. Over 26 games, Lee is batting .350/.375/.510 with four doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs. A day after he homered to stretch the lead to three runs in another tight game, which ended with a blowout victory over Seattle, Lee got the Twins going in the Motor City. Double double animal style! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 28, 2025 He broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the fourth inning, pulling a 1-0 cut fastball from ex-Twins farmhand Sawyer Gipson-Long down the first-base line to drive in Matt Wallner, who also doubled. Buxton extended the lead to two runs with a massive, two-out, solo homer in the fifth off Gipson-Long. Though the two-run cushion was nice, recently, no lead has been safe with the way the Twins have been pitching. Enter Lee, who spent the entire offseason gearing himself up to hit the fastball following a disappointing end to his rookie season. For his entire career, back to Little League, Lee said he's always punished fastballs. He didn't in 2024, finishing his rookie season batting .193 against four-seamers. His struggles forced Lee to refocus his efforts ahead of spring training, and the effort is paying off. Though back and shoulder injuries very likely played a part in last season's struggles, Lee spent the winter refining his swing to make it more compact. The adjustment has Lee in a better position to impact the ball, whether he's trying to pull it for power or line it back up the middle. Advertisement Facing reliever lefty reliever Brant Hurter with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth, Lee hoped for a fastball at the top of the zone. Though the 0-1 pitch was a little lower than he expected, Lee jumped on it and ripped it for a run-scoring single. Lee entered Friday hitting .375 on fastballs, according to Baseball Savant. 'I'm probably going to get a lot off-speed pitches, but when I do get a fastball that's there, it's a gift,' Lee said. 'It's the straightest ball in the game. I should hit it. It should be the easiest pitch to hit for me, and it all centers around my approach. I just want to be on the fastball for most of my at-bats. I really think it's been working, but I have to continue to stay on top of it because it can go away.' The Twins added a fourth run in the seventh when Buxton walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored to make it 4-0 on Willi Castro's sacrifice bunt. Despite a Jekyll and Hyde-type season, the Twins aren't going away yet. Following their 1-11 stretch, the Twins fell to five games under .500. Suddenly, they're 40-42 and only 2 1/2 back of Seattle, though they'd have to leapfrog four teams to earn a wild-card spot. One reason the Twins were so down and out was a heinous 17-game stretch by the pitching staff, which yielded nine runs eight times. But suddenly, the Twins look as if they might rediscover the form that made them one of baseball's top pitching staffs before the injury to Pablo López. Festa delivered the third straight gem by a Twins starting pitcher as he followed in the footsteps of Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods Richardson with a scoreless outing. Leaning heavily on his slider while mixing in a changeup and both fastballs, Festa cruised through all but one inning. He set down the side in order in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, retiring 12 in a row at one point. Advertisement '(The slider) felt good, it felt good getting ahead and putting away,' Festa said. 'They say hitting's contagious — I think pitching is as well. We're just trying to stack good outings on good outings.' Festa only slowed down in the second inning when he hit a batter and yielded a two-out single. But Festa, who generated nine swings-and-misses in 75 pitches, remained composed and induced an inning-ending comebacker off Dillon Dingler's bat. He wouldn't allow another base runner until two outs in the sixth inning. Along with his six strikeouts, Festa walked none and limited Detroit to two hits. After posting a 6.85 ERA over their previous 17 games, Twins starting pitchers have produced 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, including the final two from Chris Paddack's start on Tuesday. Lee, Buxton, Castro and the Twins' bullpen made sure it counted. That's a NO DOUBTER from Byron Buxton!!!! — (@twinstv) June 28, 2025 For Lee, it's another sign over the past month that his bat still has the potential that led the Twins to select him with the eighth pick of the 2022 amateur draft. 'It's been good,' Lee said. 'I can't complain. I'm still working as hard as I can to make sure both of my swings are on point. Try to come to the ballpark and try to get better every single day. It's all I can do. I can't control the wins and losses, but I can help.' (Top photo of Brooks Lee: Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas Loses Out on 2026 Four-Star OT Malakai Lee
Texas Loses Out on 2026 Four-Star OT Malakai Lee originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Texas has been pushing hard for four-star offensive tackle Malakai Lee over the last few weeks. Michigan has been the long-time favorite in his recruitment, but On3's Steve Wiltfong reported that the Longhorns were "closing the gap" as of late. Unfortunately it wasn't enough as Lee announced his commitment to the Wolverines on Friday. He chose Michigan over Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. Advertisement The Honolulu native is ranked the No. 10 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 2 overall prospect in Hawaii, according to 247Sports composite. Lee took an official visit to Texas on June 6 while Michigan received his final official visit on June 20. It's very likely Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood will continue pursuing Lee until pen hits the paper. As it stands now, the Longhorns have two offensive line commits for the 2026 class in three-star offensive tackle Max Wright and three-star interior offensive lineman Nicolas Robertson. Lee's massive 6-foot-7, 310-pound frame saw him coveted from just about every powerhouse program in the country. Aside from the four finalists, he also held offers from schools like USC, Oregon, Tennessee and Miami. Advertisement Texas currently holds the No. 11 recruiting class in the country with 15 total commits. The Longhorns are trending for several other blue-chip prospects that could announce their decisions in the near future. Related: Texas Trending for Several More Five-Star Recruits in 2026 Class This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
