Michigan tops Alabama for 4-star DL Titan Davis: How big of a recruiting win is this?
Michigan notched another win against Alabama on Monday with a commitment from four-star defensive end Titan Davis, the top-rated defensive line prospect in the Midwest in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Davis, who attends DeSmet High School in St. Louis, is No. 101 in the composite rankings and No. 13 among defensive linemen. His commitment gives Michigan its biggest recruiting win of the summer so far and another head-to-head victory against the Crimson Tide, the program Michigan beat in bowl games the past two years.
Davis also considered USC and Penn State before narrowing his list to Michigan and Alabama. His commitment came on the heels of a weekend visit to Ann Arbor, where he was joined by several of Michigan's top targets in the Class of 2026.
IM HOME #GoBlue 〽️〽️ https://t.co/ZmDCDy0yMK
— Titan Davis (@TitanDavis97) June 24, 2025
Michigan's class began the day at No. 39 in the composite rankings but has started to pick up steam, particularly on the defensive line. Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito has strong ties in the Midwest and has landed two of the region's top prospects in Davis and McHale Blade, a four-star defensive end from Chicago. Michigan also landed a recent commitment from Alister Vallejo, a 310-pound defensive tackle from Liberty Hill, Texas.
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Davis already looks the part of a college defensive lineman at 6 feet 4 and 270 pounds and had a productive junior season at DeSmet with 46 tackles, 9 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Depending on how he develops, he could give Michigan another athletic interior lineman or a big-bodied edge rusher in the mold of former Wolverine Mike Morris. He's currently the top-rated defensive player in Michigan's 2026 class and the No. 2 prospect overall behind quarterback Brady Smigiel.
With June official visits complete, dominoes could start falling quickly for uncommitted players in the Class of 2026. Michigan has addressed quarterback, tight end and defensive line but still has needs at wide receiver, running back and offensive line.
Michigan has made inroads with five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell ahead of his planned July 5 announcement, though the Wolverines face an uphill battle. Now that players have made their official visits, it's likely that the pieces will start falling into place on the offensive line, where Michigan's top targets include Malakai Lee, Felix Ojo, Kelvin Obot and Zaden Krempin.
Along with bigger-bodied players like Davis and Blade, Michigan typically looks for defenders in the 230-pound range who can provide length and speed on the edge. Carter Meadows, a top-100 prospect from Washington, D.C., fits that description and would be a natural fit in Michigan's class alongside three-star prospect Tariq Boney.
Michigan filled one of its running back spots this weekend with a commitment from Jonathan Brown, a three-star prospect from Columbus, Ohio, which leaves plenty of room for five-star prospect Savion Hiter should he pick the Wolverines. Another player to watch is defensive back Andre Clark, a four-star prospect from Richmond, Va., who plans to announce a decision next Monday.
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