National Signing Day: OL Malakai Lee signs with Michigan Football

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The Wolverines’ top target along the offensive line is officially signed, as four-star Malakai Lee has put pen to paper and signed with Michigan on Wednesday.

The basics

• Height: 6-foot-6
• Weight: 318
• Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
• Ranking (247 composite): No. 144 overall, No. 14 OT, No. 2 Hawaii

Recruiting journey

Among the best offensive tackles in the nation, Lee was coveted by the best programs in the country, including Texas, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, USC and others. But part of what made Michigan stand out to Lee was offensive line coach Grant Newsome outworking every other assistant coach around the country — he visited Lee and his family in Hawaii on numerous occasions. Lee returned the favor by taking an official visit to Ann Arbor in June and announced his commitment one week later.

Scouting report

From Greg Biggins: “From a traits standpoint, offensive linemen don’t come much better looking than Lee. He’s all of 6-6, 325 pounds with verified 36” arms and an 85”+ wingspan. He’s a fluid mover as well and has the feet, balance and frame to project as a tackle and could line up on either side, right or left in college. He plays a little hoops as well and checks off the multi-sport box for us. He uses his length well and has the ability to slide and mirror opposing edge rushers. He has added some physicality in the run game over the last year. He’s putting guys on their backs more but playing with a more aggressive edge to him is an area we think Lee can still improve on. Saying that, he’s an easy high Power 4 prospect and if he hits his ceiling, he will be playing football for a very long time.”

Expectations

No offensive line recruit should ever be viewed as a first-year starter, and that is the case with Lee. While he’s a super talented player with a high ceiling — he was named to the Navy All-American Bowl as well as the Polynesian Bowl — he will very likely spend the year bulking up and shedding off any bad weight. But don’t be surprised if he’s competing to see the field as early as his redshirt freshman year.

The film

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