There are some highly-touted freshmen joining the Michigan football team for the 2026 season, and fans know some of the big names who are expected to contribute early.
Five-star signees Savion Hiter and Carter Meadows are probably the first names mentioned among freshman who will make an impact this season.
Hiter was a star in spring ball, looked really good during the spring game, and has drawn rave reviews from Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham. Hiter is going to get the ball, often.
Meadows arrived this summer, but the five-star EDGE is nearly 270 pounds now. Meadows looks like an absolute freak and could be one of the best pass rushers the Wolverines have had since Aidan Hutchinson.
Guys like that don't grow on trees. The same can be said about freshman defensive lineman Titan Davis. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman chose Michigan over Alabama, following a high school career in St. Louis that saw him notch 27.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks.
Davis doesn't get as much hype as some of the other incoming freshmen, maybe not even as much as standout receiver Salesi Moa, but when it's all said and done this season, Davis could have a bigger role than expected.
A freshman breakout candidate for Michigan football
The Wolverines have Trey Pierce, Enow Etta, and Jonah Lea'ea, a Utah transfer, who is expected to be one of the top interior defensive linemen. There are some others like Deyvid Palepale, who could come on this season, but Davis will be hard to keep off the field.
The No. 95 overall recruit in the 2026 class is distruptive force in the backfield. That doesn't always translate to college football right away, but it did for guys like Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.
Davis might not be that good right away, but with Meadows, McHale Blade, and Alister Vallejo, the impact of the 2026 class could be felt along the defensive line. It feels like the Wolverines need another high-level stud to develop along the defensive front, and Davis is a great candidate.
CBS Sports singled him out as one of the Michigan football freshmen to watch, along with Hiter. Here's what was written about Davis, who was called a bully.
"One of the most instinctive bullies in this 2026 class for the Wolverines, Davis has the frame, athleticism, and football IQ to contribute earlier than most freshmen, especially from a rotational sense. However, being a summer enrollee may alter that timeline a bit. The Wolverines won't need him to be a star immediately, but his blend of toughness and athletic upside could earn him meaningful snaps in Year 1."
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