Michigan commits rise and fall in new Rivals300 rankings

Rivals dropped its latest round of rankings Monday afternoon, one of the final updates leading up to Dec. 3’s early signing day. Some of Michigan’s class of 2026 commits rose up the rankings, headlined by Top 100 edge rusher Julian Walker, while others fell. 

Walker made a substantial jump once again, the most recent step in his consistent rise up the Rivals300, from No. 81 to the No. 26 spot nationally. The 6-6, 255-pound edge rusher continued to establish himself as one of the nation’s elite prospects this fall. He’s now the No. 2 recruit in South Carolina and the No. 6 EDGE in the class. If that rankings remains steady, he will finish the cycle as a five-star prospect.

Michigan holds commitments from 2 of the Top 6 edge rushers in the country. The Wolverines are the only program that can say that. Five-star pass rusher Carter Meadows dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in this update. He’s the No. 2 edge now, checking in behind USC commit Luke Wafle. 

Savion Hiter remained the No. 1 running back in the country and held steady at No. 8 in the Rivals rankings. He’s Virginia’s No. 1 recruit. Top 100 offensive tackle commit Malakai Lee made a leap from No. 89 to No. 55 thanks to a strong senior year from the 6-7, 310-pound lineman out of Hawaii. 

Top 100 Michigan flip target and LSU commit Havon Finney Jr. rose slightly in Rivals’ rankings this week, moving from No. 123 nationally to No. 118. He is one of two flip targets to make the cut here. Baylor pledge Jamarion Vincent fell from No. 177 to 203. 

Michigan defensive line commit Titan Davis did not move in this rankings update, remaining at No. 127 nationally. Wide receiver pledge Travis Johnson dropped 4 spots to No. 155. Tight end commit Matt Ludwig fell from No. 130 to No. 199 nationally. 

The Wolverine spent a lot of time recently raving about Michigan offensive line pledge Marky Walbridge. He received a bump in this round of rankings, moving up from No. 256 to No. 211. He has not participated in any national camps or showcases but continues to establish himself as a blue-chip prospect thanks to his strong senior film. 

Safety commit Jordan Deck remained at No. 282 nationally, while defensive lineman Alister Vallejo dropped from No. 271 to No. 285. Edge rusher pledge McHale Blade fell from No. 221 to outside the Rivals300. 

Michigan received a commitment from in-state quarterback Tommy Carr Sunday. He remains a three-star prospect but now carries an 88 player rating, a 3-point increase that makes him the No. 37 quarterback recruit in the country. 

Three-star linebacker commit Kaden Catchings also received a noticeable bump from an 86 to an 89.