Latest news with #VictorsWeekend
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football earns prediction for 5-star EDGE Carter Meadows in 2026
Michigan football continues to be on a recruiting heater, having received two commitments on Friday evening with plenty more to come. And now it appears that the Wolverines won't just add to the class, they'll potentially get a top overall prospect. The final official visit weekend of the summer cycle, tabbed Victors Weekend, saw some top-tier talent come through Ann Arbor. None bigger than 2026 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows, the 6-foot-6.5, 225-pound talent rated as the sixth-best player in the country, per On3. It's been a battle with several schools, namely Ohio State, but there's now a prediction that the maize and blue will win out. On Saturday morning, On3's Steve Wiltfong put in a prediction indicating that Meadows will wear a winged helmet when all is said and done. Meadows does not yet have a commitment date, so there's no clear idea of the timeline. Could he up and decide to shut things down at his leisure? It's certainly possible. The scouting report from 247Sports' Andrew Ivins: Spider-like pass rusher with exceptional physical specs, but one where the sack total has yet to match the big-league potential. Can give opposing offensive tackles fits just with his stride length as he can run the arc and right into the quarterback. Has spent much of prep career attacking from a 5-technique in a four-man front. Wins more times than not with his top-flight athleticism as he pairs adequate get-off with slippery inside-outside agility, but further technical development will dictate pressure rate on Saturdays and beyond as he's got the levers to chop and swipe his way around the corner like few others. Makes his fair share of stops in backside pursuit with his closing speed, but has to get better at crushing blocks and holding his turf if he's going to make a living as an every-down defender. Should be viewed as a high-upside edge player that has a chance to develop into an absolute game-wrecker at the Power Four level and then an early-round NFL Draft pick if he can soak up coaching and embrace the weight room. Might be worth a look in a hybrid off-the-ball role as spatial awareness fostered on the basketball court allows him to drop into zones and affect passing lanes. Here is the currently committed class, ranked No. 11 by both On3 and 247Sports, as of Friday evening: Michigan currently has two edge rushers committed in four-star McHale Blade and three-star Tariq Boney. The Wolverines may take up to four this cycle with Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork four-star Julian Walker also in strong contention.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football recruiting surges with 4-star OL Marky Walbridge commit
Michigan football recruiting has been on a heater, and you never interrupt a school when it's on a heater. The Wolverines have been on multiple commit watch ever since the conclusion of the June official visit cycle and thus far have netted two pledges in four-stars DT Titan Davis and WR Zion Robinson. The question then became, who's next? With Sherrone Moore at the helm, you always know that offensive line is going to be a priority for the maize and blue, yet Michigan only had one offensive lineman committed in 2026 in Cartersville (Ga.) Cass four-star IOL Bear McWhorter. Until now. After what appears to be a successful official visit to Ann Arbor for Victors Weekend, Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian's four-star offensive lineman Marky Walbridge committed to Michigan football over Alabama, Penn State, and Boston College. Walbridge is rated highest by On3, which has him as the No. 235 player in the country, regardless of position. He's listed as an interior lineman by On3 but an offensive tackle by 247Sports -- which ranks him as a three-star. Here is what the class looks like with Walbridge in the fold using the 247Sports Composite rankings:
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Calvin Russell receives prediction from Rivals writer to land at Michigan football
There are big predictions and there are big predictions. This one, if it pays off, would be of the latter category. Michigan football is looking to overhaul its offense. While keeping the smashmouth, run-first identity that propelled the Wolverines to a national championship, with Chip Lindsey in as the offensive coordinator and Bryce Underwood coming aboard at quarterback, the maize and blue are working diligently to revamp the passing game. But they need receivers. The Wolverines added a top-flight wideout on Wednesday with 2026 Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson pledging to the class, but who's next? All eyes are on Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, but there's another who Michigan is taking a swing at the fences at. A five-star recruit from Miami (Fla.) Northwestern, Calvin Russell was seen as a likely candidate to stay down south or head out west. Miami, LSU, and Oregon loomed large, but Russell surprised by taking an official visit to Ann Arbor for Victors Weekend, and it went well enough that Maize & Blue Review's Aidan Sen put in a prediction that he'll end up a Wolverine. (More details via the link in the post, subscription required.) The scouting report from 247Sports' Andrew Ivins: Hulking wide receiver with above-the-rim athleticism that makes him a uniquely dangerous target, especially down in the red zone. Owns more of a slender build, but has measured over 6-foot-5 multiple times and is blessed with a near 6-foot-10 wingspan. Isn't exactly the most polished route runner at this stage, but creates separation with unexpected suddenness for such a longer strider. Superb body control tends to create even more of a disadvantage for defensive backs as he wins 50-50 battles with timing and positioning. Not going to outrun every tackle, but is quick to hit the gas and can make some dynamic cuts in traffic. Spent much of freshman and sophomore seasons repping as a run first-quarterback out of necessity before settling in as a must-look option in Year 3 for a storied Miami Northwestern program that captured a 3A championship. Will need to add some body armour to a rather wiry frame in hopes of improving play strength and buy into the process at the school of his choice, but should be viewed as a potential impact pass catcher for a College Football Playoff contender that can be positioned all around the field in hopes of creating mismatches. One of those good-at-everything athletes that could legitimately play two spots in college as he's also being recruited by basketball high majors. Should Michigan land Russell, he would be the biggest get at the position since Donovan Peoples-Jones (ranked the No. 1 overall receiver at the time) committed as part of the 2017 class. Either way, fans will have to wait 10 days before they get a resolution, as Russell is planning on making his commitment to his school of choice on July 5.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan's McHale Blade, new 2026 commit, recruits elite prospects at Victors Weekend
It hadn't even been two weeks since he visited and subsequently committed to Michigan football, but there he was, back on campus again -- this time hunting rather than being the hunted. 2026 Chicago (Ill.) Simeon four-star edge rusher McHale Blade was thought to be a Notre Dame lean, but he shocked the world when he wound up choosing to be in Ann Arbor over South Bend on June 9. Blade took his official visit from June 6-8, but he made it back to campus on June 20 for Victors Weekend -- the recruiting event that had the entire committed class in tow, along with several key top targets remaining on the board. So what was it like for Blade to come back to campus, but as a commit this time? He says he felt 'at home' and that it was a bit more of a relaxing experience. But that doesn't mean that he relaxed. In fact, he was in Ann Arbor to be a sniper, working every room he was in. "I knew a lot of the recruits from just previous visits, so I was kind of just there to kind of hang out with the guys and stuff like that," Blade said. "But yeah, I was really there to help recruit and talk to the guys, and it was pretty cool, hanging out with a lot of the D-linemen there. Titan (Davis) and Carter Meadows and all of those guys that I got to hang out with, so it was pretty cool." Who Blade is recruiting and his pitch If Blade was on campus actively recruiting, then he's got one in the bag, with 2026 St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet four-star defensive tackle Titan Davis having committed on Monday. But there's another prospect he was with during the weekend that he'd really like to join the class in Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga five-star EDGE Carter Meadows, and Blade says that he's about to start working on Mineral (Va.) Louisa County five-star running back Savion Hiter, too. "Obviously, Titan just committed, but I kind of already knew that from speaking with him," Blade said. "And Meadows, I'd like to play with him -- just really all the edges that were there that I met. I'd like to play with those guys; that'd be a very, very solid group. I'm reaching out to those guys. "Also, I know there's a big running back target at Michigan, (Savion Hiter). Yeah, I'd love to try to reach out to him as well. I just want to get a bunch of my guys together, just take over this whole class." With that said, what's his pitch? After all, he was the one being pitched just a few short weeks ago, so there's a strong selling point. He put it simply: "Michigan, it gives us everything we need, and it gives you everything you could possibly ask for, like from a development standpoint," Blade said. "It has everything, which is why I really committed because it kind of just had everything I needed. As a D-lineman, Michigan would be the place that you would want to be." It wasn't all about others Of course, Blade got to have a good time outside of trying to recruit for the class. He got an opportunity to meet former Michigan football defensive lineman and recently retired Philadelphia Eagles star Brandon Graham. While it could have just been a cool meet-and-greet moment, it appears to be more than that for Blade. Because Graham being back on campus after more than a decade away shows just how special Michigan football is to those who stayed. "Oh yeah, man -- that was amazing," Blade said. "He kind of just popped up unexpectedly, and they say that -- a lot of the staff members and coaches, they say that -- all the time, a lot of the older guys, they always just come back. And that also means a lot to me -- that if they're coming back, (that's) saying something. But he just kind of popped up out of nowhere, and I talked it up with him. He even followed me on Instagram and all that, so it was pretty cool to meet him." Blade is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 168 player overall, the 21st-ranked EDGE, and the fourth-best player in the state of Illinois.
USA Today
5 days ago
- 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.
