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USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football boosts 2026 class with 4-star WR Travis Johnson from Virginia
Michigan football recruiting is red hot, and the Wolverines have shown little sign of slowing down -- only in the way that the class is filling up. The maize and blue already have two wide receivers committed in Dallas (Tx.) Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile and Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson. But the Wolverines are looking to add at least one more, if not two. While top target Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell will make his decision on Saturday evening, another that Michigan football has been after for some time decides on Independence Day in Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star wideout Travis Johnson. At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Johnson has offers from the likes of Penn State, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Miami, and others. But on Friday, he committed to the Wolverines. Scouting report and highlights Here's the scouting report from 247Sports' Andrew Ivins: Well-rounded wide receiver with the size, speed and focus to emerge as a trusted option at the Power Four level. Height and bounce suggest that he's destined to play on the outside, but is sudden and quick enough to win from an interior alignment with his slick route running. Attacks cushion with good surge off the line and can reach a top gear before changing course with full-tilt cuts. Might not be a true power forward at the catch point, but can play above shoulder pads with his timing and body control. Will shed a tackle or two with the ball in his hands and has surprising agility in tight quarters for someone of his stature. Missed time as a junior due to injury, but still finished the season with over 1,000 receiving yards before turning heads at the OT7 Finals summer before senior year. Rather narrow in the shoulders for a pass catcher that's verified at over 6-foot-3, but projects as a potential impact player on Saturdays that will work for his quarterbacks. Mature game could have him in the lineup sooner rather than later. And here are his junior highlights: The currently committed class Here is what the 2026 class looks like now that Johnson is in the fold: All rankings by the 247Sports Composite With Johnson in the fold, Michigan football moves back up to No. 7 from No. 9, surpassing Clemson and Miami, while being behind USC, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Alabama in the 247Sports team rankings.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football's Jaylen Pile stuns with clutch OT7 catch for 2026 class
🫨🫨🫨@RGIII @CAT_TAKEOVER @overtime @carebearkieran Michigan football is on a recruiting heater at the moment, adding an incredible amount of top talent to the 2026 class over the past several weeks. But what about those who stayed and have been a part of the class since the beginning? Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star wide receiver Jaylen Pile was the second commitment to the class, and though he isn't as celebrated as other commits and targets, he's still a ball player. And he made sure the nation remembered that on Friday night. Taking part in the OT7 tournament with the team RGIII Takeover, Pile's group was facing insurmountable odds and needed an onside 'kick' in order to come back against C1N, down three points. The sophomore quarterback loaded for bear while Pile took off on a post route, outran the defenders, and when the pass ended up being in the breadbasket, Pile came down with the catch, with two feet inbounds, in the back of the endzone. Though he might not be as ballyhooed as some of the other committed prospects, Pile has repeatedly shown that he's a playmaker, and he's been a voracious recruiter for the Wolverines, to boot. Pile is expected to play slot receiver for the maize and blue when he arrives in Ann Arbor. He is currently one of two committed pass catchers in the 2026 class, with the other being four-star Zion Robinson, who pledged to the program earlier in the week. Michigan is favored to land at least one more, if not two receivers, in Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, and Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Inside look into Michigan football Victors Weekend: How commits led the recruiting charge
'Victors Weekend' is always the biggest recruiting push that Michigan football has every year (aside from the BBQ at the Big House), as it's the final official visit weekend, and the bulk of the commits come to take their official visits at the same time that the top overall targets also make their way to Ann Arbor. For this Victors Weekend, Michigan had all of its commits on campus while some of the most coveted prospects -- five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell, five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows, four-star offensive tackle Malakai Lee, and several others -- were getting their last look at a school before making their commitments. Official visit weekends usually start on Friday evening and go through Sunday, but it was a little different this year. Arriving in Ann Arbor While most official visit weekends start on Friday evening and go through Sunday, this one started for most on Thursday. Part of it was planned, part of it was due to inclement weather taking place in some regions of the country. So, to play it safe, many made it to campus early -- committed or uncommitted alike. Given that the Wolverines are recruiting a lot of the same regions (Dallas, the DMV), that meant that there were some expanded travel parties, with some outspoken commits getting to take the same flights as uncommitted targets. Wide receiver commit Jaylen Pile was on the same flight as offensive tackle target Zaden Krempin; edge rusher commit Tariq Boney was on the same flight as five-star EDGE target Carter Meadows. So, quite a few of the established class got more time with those who are still considering the maize and blue. The travel parties arrived at the hotel, and the commits then took charge, introducing themselves to everyone, making everyone feel welcome. It was like old friends meeting up, even though all of the current class hadn't even met beforehand -- given that some have recently committed. "We were all like in the ballroom kind of when we walked into the hotel, they had everything kind of set up on that second floor and that's where all the recruiters were," longtime commit Jaylen Pile told WolverinesWire. "All the people were there and it was kind of just cool, seeing all the guys coming in and out, checking in, getting all their stuff, putting it in their room, and then coming back down just to chop it up and seeing everybody and kind of put a face with a name. Because I mean we all, all those commits and all these recruits, we kind of text each other probably on a weekly basis, and finally seeing like that name with a face kind of just made things a lot easier and made us able to start those connections kind of earlier." While the current pledges led the charge, it wasn't just them who got involved in nurturing the environment for those still considering the Wolverines. Families of commits are also taking charge Pile is the second-longest tenured pledge to the 2026 class, so he knows everything that Michigan has to offer. But he's not the only one who's vocal about why Ann Arbor is the best place to play college football. And it's not even the other commits who are pushing, either. In many cases, it's the families. In particular, Pile's family, as well as quarterback commit Brady Smigiel's, have been actively courting the parents of prospects, furthering the ethos of the man at the top of the ladder with the program. "Like Coach Moore said, he doesn't just recruit players, he recruits families, too," Pile said. "And the families recruit the kids the same way, and we and all these parents kind of just saw that this was a safe environment that they could drop their kid off on a random Tuesday during December and not have any second thoughts about it. And they would know that they'll be taken care of, not just by the coaching staff, but by the people around them. And the friends and bonds that they're going to make at Michigan will also be just as strong as the one that he has that the player has with the coaches." In the process, not only are the recruits creating lifelong bonds -- whether or not they all end up in Ann Arbor -- but so are the families. There's an added benefit here: the trust factor. With the players and the families all getting to know each other, they're doing more than just creating friendships. Much like how the 2021 team rebuilt the culture of Michigan football, the parents are coming together and building a culture of their own -- a new family with the entire extended class under one umbrella. The Piles and the Smigiels, and offensive line commit Bear McWhorter's family, all appear to be ringleaders of this movement, but it isn't exclusive to them. It's a growing community that is currently outside of Ann Arbor, but soon will have common (literal) ground in short order. "My parents want me to be around the best, so they're gonna try to get me around the best, and that's all what these people and parents want," Pile said. "They just want the best for their kid and you can really see them taking the step for it and not just kind of sitting back and waiting but actually actively talking to the kids, talking to the parents, creating those relationships like how we, the 2026 commits, have a group chat, all the 2026 parents have a group chat. "So just having those types of bonds and being able to have friends out there like all these kids -- like I said before, coming from different parts of this country and just having like that one kind of central meeting point was good for everybody to really kind of be together. And to have these parents see the type of kids that Michigan recruits and why these Michigan coaches are recruiting their kids so hard, because they see them and view them as Michigan men. And that's just all that we kind of want to show out and show that these families, that we're all these Michigan men that have high character, high standards, and just want to be the best people that we can be and, you know, win." The uncommitted left feeling like they're part of the family There's a growing list of players who know they'll be wearing a winged helmet at this time next year, but, of course, many of the visitors are still trying to decide if it's the best move for them. But this currently committed class isn't making it easy for them to look around. The aforementioned top targets that the Wolverines were working on still have decisions to make, and many will choose their school in the next few weeks or months. They came to Ann Arbor for the official visit, thinking they'd learn more about the program, the university, campus life, and perhaps NIL offers on the table. But most, if not all, left feeling like they were a part of something bigger -- a family. "Well, obviously, you kind of want to dress for the job you want, not the job you have," Pile said. "So having these kids all up there and showing them that this is the type of environment that they're going to be in at all times and make everything easy and friendly for them and seeing how we all treat each other as a family -- even though all the people there weren't commits -- really just kind of showed, and I wanted to put that up front and show, like why being a leader of this class is so important because that's how you get the guys that you see that are those top guys and those ballplayers to be around you. And really get these guys to really buy into what Coach Moore's saying, not just on a football standpoint, but for a life after football standpoint and a friendship point of view." Recruits often say they're looking for a family atmosphere, but the Piles, Smigiels, McWhorters, and more have done a good job of turning that from a concept to a reality. Recent commits who already visited came back to recruit Players like Pile, who have been committed for some time, have been to campus more times than many could count. Most of the official visitors (and their families) have been to campus before at some point in the process, but some more than others. And that includes some of the players who have already taken their official visits. Take McHale Blade, the edge rusher who appeared Notre Dame-bound but committed just days after his official visit to Ann Arbor the weekend of June 6. He made it back to campus for an unofficial visit, not just to bond with this future teammates, but to help add new ones to the class. Alister Vallejo was also considering Notre Dame, but ended up pledging to Michigan football just before his June 13 official visit. He also made it back to campus. It was a good opportunity for the newer pledges to grow closer to players like Pile, who have been touting all things maize and blue for months now. Pile says that he got some extra face time with the unofficial visitors who already had their officials. Strengthening the bonds is one thing, but given that those prospects have already been through the official visit process and made their decision to commit, it gave them a perspective to share to those who are still on the fence about why Michigan is the place to be. "It's always good to see these guys coming back even after official visits, taking those unofficial visits and maybe not going through all the same stuff that they've gone again -- you know, because of the NCAA regulation -- but still being able to see them outside of after all of our schedule stuff and just chilling with them," Pile said. "Like me and Alister played golf when I had a break in my OV schedule since he was on his unofficial. And just creating those connections. Like all these guys, we want to be the best, and we want to recruit the best. So being around those types of guys and seeing how much they want to pour back into the team -- even though they've already done their part and committed -- and just seeing how they want to add more and be better, just really makes everything worthwhile. And I think a lot of the parents and a lot of the other players see that, that they're taking the time to really come back and show other people why they fell in love with this place so much. "And it's just a great feeling, as one of the long-time commits, seeing this class kind of come together, and it's just an amazing feeling." Targeting players at the same position Coming out of the weekend, you could see a lot of unselfishness on display. Whether it was Bryce Underwood hanging out with Brady Smigiel, Jaylen Pile hanging out with Calvin Russell, or Tariq Boney courting Carter Meadows and Julian Walker, everywhere you looked, you saw a current player or a current commit telling someone from the same position group, 'Hey, come be a part of this.' Pile says that the bulk of the class all have the same mentality: iron sharpens iron, competition breeds success. Michigan is a better team if you're on it. "Well, to be quite honest with you, like none of the people that are recruited here are afraid of competition. We've all had to go and take somebody's spot at some point or another during our high school time, middle school time, any type of football, or just in life in general, we've had to take somebody's spot," Pile said. "So just having those elite recruits isn't really scaring us off of our position, and we're not going to be the hater type to try to only save us. "Like we got to start looking at the big picture, like the best is going to play. Coach Moore had us down in the commit meeting. He said, 'I see a lot of you that could possibly play their freshman year. Not all of you, but some of you could play.' And that's just something that keeps us going. Like we're all fighting for a spot, and it's going to be like that in the NFL, and we all want to be at that next level. And this is just a little precursor for it. "And just being around like those top recruit guys and, you know, trying to get them to come to Michigan is never really anything that we do like, 'Oh, we, we don't want you here because that's my position.' Like, no, that's not what they recruited us here for. And that's not what they believe in. And like I said before, he wants Michigan men, and Michigan men don't run from competition. We embrace it, and just having another person at that position that's just as good or even better than you at the time can kind of really push you more." At the moment, Pile is the only wide receiver commit that Michigan has. It would benefit him to be a part of a smaller class at the position, as it could lead to more reps and playing time. But, still, he wants Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star wideout Calvin Russell in a winged helmet. In sharing more about Russell's recruitment, Pile notes that they technically wouldn't have the same role with the Wolverines, but he shared some insight as to how Michigan would use both (as well as other receiver targets) at the same time. "Me and Calvin aren't really playing the same position. They kind of talked to him like more as a true X, like big body that could still run routes and take on a lot of the single side stuff as they see me playing more of like the slot and kind of the Z kind of," Pile said. "So Coach Bellamy kind of views me as being able to be like a unicorn that has the body type to go inside and play slot, run all those short routes, block the linebackers, but still be able to go outside and kind of beat press. So that's kind of where they're just talking about putting me in, had a meeting about, positioning, and stuff like that. "So, still a lot of those guys coming in for the same position, but they like to spread us out a lot and anybody can play anywhere. Because we recruit diverse people and not just one-trick ponies. We like having the whole thing. And if you're good, you'll figure out a way on the field, and all of us aren't really worried about that because we know we're going to have our time to play." Thus far, Michigan has gotten one commitment coming out of Victors Weekend, with defensive tackle Titan Davis pledging on Monday evening. The Wolverines have also gotten a prediction that they'll land Carrollton (Ga.) four-star cornerback Dorian Barney following his time in Ann Arbor this weekend. There's still a lot of time to go before signing day, but given the bonds that have been established between the recruits, the parents, and the uncommitted prospects, it's only a matter of time before the class grows.
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LOOK: Michigan football WR commit Jaylen Pile makes impressive grab in 7-on-7
LOOK: Michigan football WR commit Jaylen Pile makes impressive grab in 7-on-7 Michigan football has just three commitments in the 2026 class at this juncture with a cornerback, an offensive lineman, and a wide receiver pledged. Recruiting is heating up with spring visits on the horizon as the Wolverines begin spring ball in a matter of days (March 18) but one current maize and blue commitment is making a name for himself off campus as he goes through the 7-on-7 circuit. 2026 Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal School three-star wide receiver Jaylen Pile has been pledged to the Wolverines since Oct. 16. 2024 but on Saturday, he's participating in the Overtime 7-on-7. On3 recruiting and scouting guru Steve Wiltfong happens to be on-hand and captured a moment where Pile managed to high point a throw in the end zone, showing off his impressive ability. Pile is rated by the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 615 player in the country, regardless of position. He's rated highest by Rivals which has him as a four-star at No. 217 overall and the ninth-best wide receiver in the country. He's listed at 6-feet, 178 pounds.
