Michigan Football’s newest recruiting commitment, 2026 four-star OT Malakai Lee, has all the tools to continue the tradition of elite people-movers playing college football in Ann Arbor. Here is our film study on the Hawaii native:
The Michigan Wolverines continue to build their offensive line in the 2026 recruiting class. Head coach Sherrone Moore and offensive line coach Grant Newsome have been on a tear lately, and four-star offensive tackle Malakai Lee is their latest prized possession. He joins four-star interior lineman Bear McWhorter and three-star tackle Marky Walbridge in this extremely encouraging unit.
Let’s look into Lee’s high school film and evaluate what he brings to the program.
The Basics
The Honolulu, Hawaii native is already has collegiate, even NFL size at 6-foot-6, 318 pounds. He has played all over the line at Kamehameha Schools and is a consensus Top-10 offensive tackle in his class.
Michigan beat out SEC elites in Alabama, Texas and Georgia for Lee’s services and should be over the moon about his commitment. Moore and Newsome have been recruiting Lee longer than any other school and have taken several flights out to Hawaii to visit with him and his family in a massive effort to win this recruitment. The Wolverines were taking a “we won’t be beaten by anybody” approach, and ultimately, it paid off.
Along with the aforementioned recruits, Lee will join a depth chart that already features freshmen Andrew Babalola, Ty Haywood, Avery Zach and Kaden Strayhorn. He could still have a real opportunity for playing time the second he steps on campus.
The Film
Watching Lee play football is like watching a cement mixer roll downhill. He is a mountain of a young man on the line, and it looks impossible for edge rushers to get by him in pass protection.
The power guys are simply overmatched, and the speed guys have trouble keeping up with Lee’s long arms, fluid hips and surprisingly quick first step. He does not have perfect footwork, but for someone his size, he has more than enough quickness to keep up.
Lee also has great presence and knows how to stay mobile when his quarterback cannot get rid of the ball quickly. He never quits on the play, either, and is always looking to protect his ball carriers. That relentless mentality shines on any team.
Once Lee gets his hands on you, it’s over. He is just too strong and too big to handle once he’s engaged. That power especially shows up during run blocking, where he does not necessarily toss his defenders, but he puts them on skates. He will drive and drive and drive defensive linemen and linebackers until the running back is into the second level.
Projecting his role at Michigan
Lee is very likely going to play tackle at Michigan, and despite primarily lining up on the left side in high school, he should have no problems moving to the right side of the line should the Wolverines need him to play there.
That height, while a major blessing, does pose some minor issues, namely getting enough leverage to win battles with his lower body. Lee hides that flaw by out-muscling his opponents, but it is a technical adjustment he will need to make to thrive in college.
At the end of the day, Lee is an incredibly talented player that was coveted by the best college football programs in the country; it cannot be understated that Michigan beating three elite SEC schools in Texas, Georgia and Alabama is absolutely huge. Lee is among the top offensive tackles in the nation and will be able to compete for a spot in Michigan’s two-deep the moment he steps foot on campus.