2026 Season Countdown: #91-95
#91. McHale Blade – DE – Chicago (IL) Simeon: Blade is a 6’4″, 245 lb. true freshman who finished the cycle as a 4-star, the #47 defensive lineman, and #437 overall. He’s very physical and a little heavy-footed at times, so he may end up kind of like a Cameron Brandt player, but I think fans will appreciate his toughness. He has had some injury issues in high school, but Michigan will need a young edge or two to step up in 2026 as depth pieces. Blade and 5-star Carter Meadows appear to be likely candidates to see the field as backups this season.
#92. Tomas O’Meara – RB – Ann Arbor (MI) Gabriel Richard: Now a redshirt sophomore, O’Meara was called into action against Maryland in 2025 when there were some injury issues with Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall. He performed admirably with 8 carries for 71 yards, including a 37-yarder. Michigan won admirably and O’Meara was able to take the load off some other guys a little bit as the season wore along.
#93. Julius Holly – DE – Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta: Holly is a 6’4″, 230 lb. redshirt freshman who played in the Cheez-It Bowl against Texas during his only appearance in 2025. He seems to have a little way to go before he reaches a playable weight for a 6’4″ edge defender, and there hasn’t really been any buzz about him coming out of practice. This will probably be another developmental year for him as he continues to add weight and sits behind several experienced players.
#94. Mason Bonner – TE – Denver (CO) Mullen: Bonner was a so-so recruit coming out of high school in 2026, ranked as a 3-star, the #26 tight end, and #526 overall. He was listed as a 6’6″, 200 lb. recruit, but Michigan now lists him at 6’7″ and 225 lbs. He made 47 catches for 767 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior last season, but he now enters a pretty solid group of tight ends. I wouldn’t put it past him to earn some playing time this season if the added weight is legitimate, but it seems the super tall tight end types take a couple years to figure out their strength, coordination, route running, etc.
#95. Tariq Boney – DE – Washington (DC) St. John’s: Boney is a 4-star, the #32 edge, and the #313 player overall in the 2026 class. He made 48 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 pass breakups as a senior in 2025. Now listed at 6’2″, 245 lbs., he could potentially break into the lineup as a freshman. I will be interested to see how Michigan and new defensive coordinator Jay Hill deploys his players, and whether he tries to adjust to the Big Ten by playing bigger players at Michigan than he did elsewhere. It’s difficult to get on the field as a short-ish freshman edge, because players like him have to learn how to deal with the reach disadvantage. But I could see his quickness being used in certain situations.
