An underrated flip
Dabney is a three-star recruit, but don't judge him based solely on that. He's an athlete who has played a lot of safety in high school and played well.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 LB Markel Dabney has Flipped his Commitment from SMU to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 27, 2025
The 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
He's got good ball skills, is a good athlete, and a good tackler. The truth is that you can't land a top-100 recruit at every position, especially with an NIL budget.
You have to be choosy where you spend, but you also want to be smart about identifying underrated players. Dabney is one of those. SMU is the defending ACC champion. Penn State, Kentucky, and Pittsburgh were also in the mix.
Dabney has the size to be a linebacker. He also had over 1,000 yards as a receiver last season. He reminds me a little bit of Michael Barrett. This is an upside take, and you have to take some of those, but Michigan tends to hit on those more than others, and Dabney is a good candidate.