Coming out of the spring game, there has been some positive buzz for Michigan football on the recruiting trail.
It started with top-100 quarterback Brady Smigiel. The 6-foot-5 quarterback ranked 74th overall in the 2026 class, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, visited during the Michigan football spring game, and the Wolverines were projected to land him by Steve Wilftong of On3.com soon after.
Smigiel isn't the only recruit Michigan is trending up with though. There have been some other crystal ball projections coming out recently, including one that dates back a little farther for offensive tackle Malakai Lee.
Lee got a crystal ball projection back in October from Steve Lorenz of the Michigan Insider. After this weekend's visit, Lorenz noted that he feels confident in his projection. Aiden Sen, a new recruiting expert for Rivals, also just put in a Futurecast for Lee to wind up in Ann Arbor.
Malakai Lee would be an elite addition to O-line room
Lee is 6-foot-6, 318 pounds out of Hawaii. He's the second-ranked player in the state in 2026, and is also ranked ninth among offensive tackles, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He's also ranked No. 136 overall.
Georgia, USC, Alabama, BYU, and Texas are some of the other contenders. Lee took an official visit to Georgia on April 10th. He will take his official visit to Michigan football on June 20th.
According to his 247 Sports scouting report, Lee has 36 inch arms and an 85-inch wingspan. The dude is super athletic and might even be pushing for a five-star rating if he wasn't from Hawaii.
The offensive line might be a question mark heading into the 2025 season, but with Andrew Babalola, Andrew Sprague, and others on the roster, the future is bright. It will be even brighter if Michigan football can land a commitment from Lee, too.