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Michigan’s 2026 freshman class has rightfully gotten plenty of buzz this offseason. According to 247Sports, the Wolverines reeled in the nation’s 12th-best class with a group that has plenty of high-upside players, including two five-stars.
Historically, it’s difficult for freshmen to get on the field early even if they are highly rated recruits. And those that do get regular playing time usually have the advantage of being early enrollees with several months’ worth of time to get acclimated to their new school and program before the season starts.
However, it’s not unheard of for a late-enrolling freshman to find a role in the early going. Fortunately for the Wolverines, they have a few late-enrolling freshmen that could be candidates to do so. Let’s take a look at who these guys could be in 2026.
Edges Carter Meadows and Tariq Boney
If there are five-stars next to your name, the fan base is going to expect big things from you right out of the gate. That’s no exception for Carter Meadows. He’s 6-foot-6 with the range, bend and speed to get around offensive tackles in the blink of an eye. Before he’s ticketed for a major role, though, he could stand to add some more weight and continue adding pass-rush moves to his arsenal.
In addition to Meadows, Michigan added another edge rusher this summer with Tariq Boney. He made a major rise in recruiting circles last fall after making 48 tackles, including 22 for a loss, and 13 sacks last fall. He even won Washington, D.C.’s Gatorade Player of the Year award, an award Meadows was also in contention for. He comes into college at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds with plenty of muscle already.
They both could be presented with an opportunity to see the field early thanks to the group of edge rushers behind John Henry Daley being relatively inexperienced compared to other positions on the roster.
DTs Titan Davis and Alister Vallejo
Michigan’s front seven had plenty of attrition this offseason, especially at defensive tackle. In 2026, Michigan has plenty of excitement for the trio of Trey Pierce, Enow Etta and Jonah Lea’ea, who are likely to take the bulk of the snaps. But after them, there’s not much in terms of experience.
This potentially opens the door for some younger players to make a name for themselves, so why not a pair of highly-talented and well-regarded freshmen in Titan Davis and Alister Vallejo?
In Vallejo’s case, he comes to college with pretty good size already at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds. He also played high school football in the state of Texas, so he’s already faced better competition than your average freshman. As for his abilities, 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks commented that Vallejo plays with a high motor and boasts solid athleticism and movement even at his size, even making a comparison to Michigan great Mason Graham. No pressure there, right?
As for Davis, he’s not as big as Vallejo at 271 pounds, but he also has the benefit of playing different positions along the defensive line, with plenty of experience as an edge rusher in addition to defensive tackle. His long-term home is most likely at tackle, where he’ll need to continue to add size before being cemented into a big role, but don’t rule out the chance for him to get involved in the edge rotation if the opportunity presents itself.
OT Malakai Lee
By all accounts, Hawaii’s Malakai Lee looks like he could be one of the steals of the recruiting class. He was supposed to be an early enrollee, but changed his plans shortly after Michigan’s coaching staff was overhauled. Nevertheless, he’ll still be a Wolverine, and fans should be delighted.
The obvious thing that stands out with Lee is his size at a whopping 6-foot-7 and 349 pounds. He’ll be tough for even the best defensive linemen to get past and isn’t all that bad of a mover either despite being as big as he is. As far as talent goes, he’s one of Michigan’s highest-rated recruits in the class as a four-star, but some have opined that’s a bit low.
He could quickly prove worthy of modest playing time — even with all the starters Michigan returns up front — if his technique can catch up to his size, although the gap there doesn’t seem that large. Perhaps packages that use an extra tackle could be the quickest way to get him on the field, but don’t be surprised if he’s doing more than that by season’s end.
Full list of late-enrolling freshmen: Edge Carter Meadows, DT Titan Davis, OT Malakai Lee, DT Alister Vallejo, OT Tommy Fraumann, Edge Tariq Boney, TE Mason Bonner, CB Ernest Nunley, Edge Ndi Etta, K Jacob Baggett
Freshmen enrolled in January: RB Savion Hiter, WR Salesi Moa, WR Travis Johnson, OT Marky Walbridge, CB Jamarion Vincent, QB Tommy Carr, S Jordan Deck, Edge McHale Blade, QB Brady Smigiel, LB Aden Reeder, RB Jonathan Brown, IOL Ace Hamilton, LB Kaden Catchings, LB Markel Dabney, S Jaylen Pile
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