It’s been a long time since Michigan football has had to worry about replacing one particular position, but soon, it will need to find someone to take over the role from a couple of longstanding veterans.
Though some might not realize the importance of having a top-notch longsnapper, the Wolverines place an onus on special teams efficiency. As former head coach Jim Harbaugh used to talk about, the battery of snap, hold, and kick (or in the case of punting, snap and kick) needs to be spot on. Michigan has had William Wagner at the position since 2019, following Camaron Cheeseman, but he missed half of 2022 after a significant leg injury at Iowa in Week 5. At that point, second-year longsnapper Greg Tarr stepped in and handled the duties masterfully.
Tarr is expected to be the guy this year, but who will come after him?
On Saturday, Michigan got a commitment from 2026 Phoenix (Ariz.) Sandra Day O’Connor five-star longsnapper Colton Dermer.
Dermer is rated the No. 6 longsnapper in the 2026 class according to Kohl’s Kicking rankings. Here is the scouting report:
Dermer is a prospect in the 2026 class with elite snapper talent, great size, and tremendous athleticism. He rips the cover off the ball with impressive velocity and extremely tight ball rotation. At the 2025 Kohl’s Spring Western Showcase, Dermer finished with an average snap time of .66 seconds and ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash. He has the talent and attributes needed to be a scholarship snapper.
Dermer is the 10th commitment in the 2026 class. Here is what the class currently looks like:
- Newbury Park (Calif.) four-star QB Brady Smigiel (No. 83 overall, 7th QB, 12th in California)
- Billings (Mt.) West four-star TE Matt Ludwig (No. 160 overall, 9th TE, 1st in Montana )
- Chicago (Ill.) Simeon four-star EDGE McHale Blade (No. 169 overall, 21st EDGE, 5th in Illinois)
- Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star CB Brody Jennings (No. 277 overall, 24th CB, 43rd in Florida)
- Cartersville (Ga.) Cass four-star IOL Bear McWhorter (No. 399 overall, 33rd IOL, 48th in Georgia)
- Liberty Hill (Tx.) four-star DL Alister Vallejo (No. 411 overall, 44th DL, 55th in Texas)
- Denver (Colo.) Mullen three-star TE Mason Bonner (No. 600 via On3; 30th TE, 5th in Colorado)
- Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star WR Jaylen Pile (No. 714 overall, 103rd WR, 113th in Texas)
- Washington (D.C.) St. John’s three-star EDGE Tariq Boney (No. 796 overall, 74th EDGE, 4th in D.C.)
- Phoenix (Ariz.) Sandra Day O’Connor five-star LS Colton Dermer (No. 6 LS)
#Michigan #lands #elite #longsnapper #class
