During the early signing period on Wednesday, Michigan signed 27 players, among them Owen Wafle, a four-star defensive lineman from Princeton (NJ) Hun School 2024.
For Mike Elston, the defensive line coach, it was a tremendous coup, and the Wolverine supporters were giddy with anticipation.
Although Michigan signed 27 players on Wednesday during the early signing period, they still have their eye on Gatlin Bair, a Top 100 wide receiver who is among the finest in the country.
Even after he committed to Boise State throughout the summer, the Wolverines have a long history of being a top candidate in this class of recruits.
Las Vegas: For many years, the Tarkanian Classic has been a must-see event when the high school season rolls around. This year was no exception, with teams traveling to Las Vegas to compete in prep and high school divisions from all across the West Coast. From Sunday through Wednesday, 247Sports was present, and there was a lot to take in.
Who was the star of the show? Who updated their profiles, and who appeared to be the most dedicated players? We have the complete overview.
If there was a theme that developed throughout our four days in Sin City, it was the strength of the perimeter players from the class of 2026 in attendance. Some of them we already knew quite a bit about like Jason Crowe Jr., Tajh Ariza and Ikenna Alozie. Kaden House and Kalek House were already on the radar as well while Isaiah Rogers and Donovan Williams were able to get more extended looks.
With all of these young talents in the building, it’s tough to pick a starting point but let’s go with the House brothers since they helped to move their Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain squad into the finals of the Platinum Division. While Kalek hasn’t yet cracked the national rankings for 2026 – where only 60 players are ranked nationally – Kaden has already established himself as the No. 53 player in the sophomore class. The 6-foot-3 combo guard backed up that ranking and then some while going for 36 and 43 in back-to-back games. He bombed shots from deep, he got wherever he wanted to be on the floor whenever he wanted to do and he played with a special level of poise and confidence that showed why he’s gotten early offers from programs like Grand Canyon, Michigan, New Mexico and Washington State to name a few. Kalek is pretty good in his own right. Like his brother he can make shots from deep, but he’s a bit more physical and more of a power driver. Keep in mind that these guys have strong bloodlines going for them too. Older brother Jaelen is a star at New Mexico, their father Eddie played in the NBA for years and their uncle is Mike Bibby Jr.
House didn’t even have the biggest scoring game from a member of the 2026. That honor belonged to Crowe who went off for 50 during his second game of the event. A five-star floor general who is already ranked No. 6 nationally, Crowe obliterated state scoring records for freshmen in California last season and he doesn’t look to be slowing down as a sophomore. He’s got elite skill level, a tight handle and can do just about anything on the offensive end. Crowe does need to add strength to his lean frame, but given that he won’t turn 16 until next summer, he’s got plenty of time for that. Shockingly, UCLA is the only high profile offer for Crowe at this juncture.
