After flipping 2026 three-star linebacker Aden Reeder away from Wisconsin last week, the Michigan Wolverines went back to the well and pulled off yet another flip. This time, it’s 2026 three-star linebacker Kaden
Catchings, who flipped from USF to Michigan on Tuesday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder from Flowood, Mississippi has had quite the interesting journey to wind up becoming a Wolverine. Position coach Brian Jean-Mary offered him a scholarship in June, but Michigan came in a bit late and he ended up committing to Liberty shortly after.
Michigan stopped recruiting him for a while, as it was going after other top targets on the board. However, after flipping from Liberty to USF in October, Michigan re-established contact and brought him up for an official visit the weekend of the Purdue game. He had good things to say about that trip to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong ($).
“It was great,” Catchings said. “I had fun this weekend.
“I just love their program. Its a great program with great resources and people around it.”
Catchings had further things to say about Jean-Mary and head coach Sherrone Moore with On3’s EJ Holland ($).
“My relationship with Coach BJ is really good,” Catchings said. “He’s a cool dude. He’s a family guy. He said he wants me to come in and play linebacker for him because I fit with what they do. He thinks Michigan is a great place for me to develop.
“Coach Moore is a great dude, too. He’s very humble and down to earth. I think he’s doing something great at Michigan. Not a lot of second-year head coaches keep a program up like he has. He has a special thing going on.”
Catchings is the third linebacker to join Michigan’s 2026 class alongside the aforementioned Reeder and three-star Markel Dabney. Catchings — who also had offers from Ole Miss, Memphis, Western Kentucky and others — is ranked No. 1,377 overall, No. 40 in the state of Mississippi and the No. 109 linebacker.
