Michigan football is aiming to add another linebacker to its 2026 recruiting class, and right now, the Wolverines have zeroed in on Michigan State commitment Braylon Hodge as their top target.
Hodge is 6-foot-3, 212 pounds out of Cherry Creek, Colorado. He committed to Michigan State back in June. However, his recruitment has started to pick up steam recently. Michigan football offered last week. So did Texas.
It will probably be difficult for the Spartans to hold onto this commitment. Hodge was excited about the Michigan football offer to the point that it felt like an impactful offer. Now, according to EJ Holland of The Wolverine, there are plans to take an unofficial visit for the Wisconsin game.
It sounds like an official visit down the road could be on the table, too. That's the ideal way to pull off a flip. It's usually going to take more than one visit. Hodge was upgraded in the Rivals rankings on Monday, moving up to No. 170 overall. He's ranked No. 347 in the Rivals Industry rankings.
Michigan football has just one linebacker committed in the 2026 class, which is Markel Dabney, a recruit that the Wolverines flipped from SMU. He's a three-star prospect, so adding a blue-chip commitment like Hodge would be a win, especially at inside linebacker.
Michigan guarding against flips
At the same time, Michigan football has to guard against some players being flipped. Julian Walker the four-star EDGE, visited South Carolina for the second straight week.
Four-star cornerback Dorian Barney was in attendance for Georgia Tech's upset win over Clemson. Barney is from Carrollton, Georgia. There is some speculation that he wants to stay closer to home, and it feels like Georgia Tech is a very real threat to lure the blue-chip defensive back away from his Michigan commitment.
Walker is expected to visit for the Wisconsin game, after the bye week, so that will be huge for the Wolverines. He's the commitment you'd want to keep, although losing Barney wouldn't be ideal either. Michigan has still been looking for another top-flight corner to add to the 2026 class. His decommitment would only heighten that need.