Michigan Football plucked an explosive prospect from Columbus, Ohio after a relatively quick recruitment. Here is what we learned from RB Jonathan Brown’s film and what he will bring to Ann Arbor:
The Michigan Wolverines have their first running back in the 2026 class. Jonathan Brown, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from St. Francis de Sales in Columbus is rated as a three-star prospect. Brown did not receive an offer from his hometown school — one of his high school teammates, RJ Day, is the son of Ryan Day — and has the chance to prove them wrong in the coming years.
The top priority for Michigan’s 2026 running backs remains five-star Savion Hiter. However, Brown remains an intriguing prospect and a quality addition for the Wolverines. Here is what the film taught us.
Film Study
Brown had a successful junior campaign , tallying 202 carries for 1,295 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He earned First-Team All-Conference and All-District recognition and was an honorable mention for the All-State team.
The most exciting element of Brown’s game is his speed. He has legitimate breakaway speed, and if he gets to the second level unscathed, you can all but guarantee he is going to score a touchdown. That speed also helps him stretch to the outside and explode through inside lanes.
Brown is not overly eager as a runner, but he does have great timing and is patient enough to let his linemen set up blocks. Once he sees daylight, he takes advantage of the space and can either run upfield or use his great lateral movement to deke defenders.
Those jukes are violent, and Brown makes them look effortless. Even with his taller frame, he is a swift mover and does not look challenged to shake tacklers. Those quick moves and poise should translate to the college level. One area Brown will need to work on is staying low during inside runs.
Brown is still far from the flawless prospect and will also need to improve as both a pass blocker and receiver to earn consistent reps in Ann Arbor. Still, he has a lot of natural talent, impressive football senses and the motor to develop into a star.
At a school like Michigan that emphasizes the run game, it is crucial to have multiple quality players on the depth chart. Brown makes for a solid addition to the room, and could create a great one-two punch with the aforementioned Hiter if he chooses to come to Michigan.
Brown’s early-down speed and agility feel like his best path to carving out a role early on, with potential for much, much more later in his college career.