When Kyle Whittingham took over in Ann Arbor, he knew building a championship culture meant winning talent battles far outside Michigan’s borders. Up in Georgia, three-star linebacker commit Brayden “Tank” Watson isn’t just buying into that vision. He is actively hunting for the program, taking aim at SEC rival Vanderbilt to bring his high school teammate along for the ride and keep a personal word he gave to the Michigan staff.
Watson has turned into an unofficial recruiter for Michigan, setting his sights directly on flip candidate Ethan Hauser. Hauser pledged to Vanderbilt back in May, but Watson refuses to let the SEC have the final say. “Job’s not finished with him,” Watson declared, making it clear he won’t stop pitching Michigan until signing day arrives. At the same time, Watson closed his own recruitment completely to lock in with the Wolverines.
The connection runs deep. Watson and Hauser shared the field as the starting linebacker pair at Buford High School in Georgia, forming one of the state’s most lethal defensive tandems. They took summer visits together, including a trip to Ann Arbor where they both pictured playing side by side in the Big Ten…