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Michigan football earns prediction for 5-star EDGE Carter Meadows in 2026

Michigan football continues to be on a recruiting heater, having received two commitments on Friday evening with plenty more to come. And now it appears that the Wolverines won’t just add to the class, they’ll potentially get a top overall prospect.

The final official visit weekend of the summer cycle, tabbed Victors Weekend, saw some top-tier talent come through Ann Arbor. None bigger than 2026 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows, the 6-foot-6.5, 225-pound talent rated as the sixth-best player in the country, per On3. It’s been a battle with several schools, namely Ohio State, but there’s now a prediction that the maize and blue will win out.

On Saturday morning, On3’s Steve Wiltfong put in a prediction indicating that Meadows will wear a winged helmet when all is said and done.

Meadows does not yet have a commitment date, so there’s no clear idea of the timeline. Could he up and decide to shut things down at his leisure? It’s certainly possible.

The scouting report from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:

Spider-like pass rusher with exceptional physical specs, but one where the sack total has yet to match the big-league potential. Can give opposing offensive tackles fits just with his stride length as he can run the arc and right into the quarterback. Has spent much of prep career attacking from a 5-technique in a four-man front. Wins more times than not with his top-flight athleticism as he pairs adequate get-off with slippery inside-outside agility, but further technical development will dictate pressure rate on Saturdays and beyond as he’s got the levers to chop and swipe his way around the corner like few others. Makes his fair share of stops in backside pursuit with his closing speed, but has to get better at crushing blocks and holding his turf if he’s going to make a living as an every-down defender. Should be viewed as a high-upside edge player that has a chance to develop into an absolute game-wrecker at the Power Four level and then an early-round NFL Draft pick if he can soak up coaching and embrace the weight room. Might be worth a look in a hybrid off-the-ball role as spatial awareness fostered on the basketball court allows him to drop into zones and affect passing lanes.

Here is the currently committed class, ranked No. 11 by both On3 and 247Sports, as of Friday evening:

  • Newbury Park (Calif.) four-star QB Brady Smigiel (No. 83 overall, 8th QB, 12th in California)
  • St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet four-star DL Titan Davis (No. 101 overall, 13th DL, 2nd in Missouri)
  • Mansfield (Tx.) four-star WR Zion Robinson (No. 132 overall, 18th WR, 19th in Texas)
  • Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha four-star OT Malakai Lee (No. 137 overall, 10th OT, 2nd in Hawaii)
  • Billings (Mont.) West four-star TE Matt Ludwig (No. 160 overall, 9th TE, 1st in Montana )
  • Chicago (Ill.) Simeon four-star EDGE McHale Blade (No. 168 overall, 21st EDGE, 4th in Illinois)
  • Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star CB Brody Jennings (No. 277 overall, 24th CB, 43rd in Florida)
  • Cartersville (Ga.) Cass four-star IOL Bear McWhorter (No. 399 overall, 33rd IOL, 48th in Georgia)
  • Liberty Hill (Tx.) four-star DL Alister Vallejo (No. 413 overall, 44th DL, 54th in Texas)
  • Needham (Mass.) three-star OL Marky Walbridge (No. 447 overall, 38th OT, 2nd in Massachusetts)
  • Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis de Sales three-star RB Jonathan Brown (No. 561 overall, 34th RB, 26th in Ohio)
  • Denver (Colo.) Mullen three-star TE Mason Bonner (No. 602, 30th TE, 5th in Colorado)
  • Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star WR Jaylen Pile (No. 718 overall, 105th WR, 112th in Texas)
  • Richmond (Va.) Huguenot three-star LB Markel Dabney (No. 785 overall, 54th ATH, 18th in Virginia)
  • Washington (D.C.) St. John’s three-star EDGE Tariq Boney (No. 807 overall, 74th EDGE, 4th in D.C.)
  • Hinsdale (Ill.) Central K Micah Drescher (No. 4 K, Chris Sailer Kicking)
  • Phoenix (Ariz.) Sandra Day O’Connor five-star LS Colton Dermer (No. 6 LS)

Michigan currently has two edge rushers committed in four-star McHale Blade and three-star Tariq Boney. The Wolverines may take up to four this cycle with Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork four-star Julian Walker also in strong contention.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football predicted to land 5-star 2026 EDGE Carter Meadows

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