2026 athlete Jaziel Hart recaps recent Michigan trip, talks upcoming visits

Class of 2026 three-star athlete Jaziel Hart has taken one fall visit already, and has at least two more trips coming up.

The North Cross School (Roanoke, Va.) defensive back/wide receiver was at Michigan on Sept. 21. Next, he is planning to be at Tennessee on Oct. 19 when the Volunteers host Alabama. Then, Hart is scheduled to be at Penn State‘s regular-season finale versus Maryland on Nov. 30.

It is possible Hart adds more visits to the calendar as well, but that still needs to be figured out.

Hart spoke to Rivals to detail his experience at Michigan and discuss what he is hoping to see on his upcoming trips.

While in Ann Arbor, Hart witnessed a gritty 27-24 win by the Wolverines over USC. He was impressed by Michigan’s defense.

“Michigan played hard, smash-mouth football when they played USC,” Hart said. “They struggled on offense to move the ball consistently, but them defensive backs and the defense (as a whole) took care of business.”

The September trip was the second time that Hart was on U-M’s campus, but it was the first time he was able to take in the atmosphere at Michigan Stadium (“The Big House”) during a game.

“That was the first game-day visit I’ve taken to Michigan, but I was up there this summer for a camp invite,” Hart explained. “So, that was my second time (in Ann Arbor) and the energy was even better.”

Hart was unable to take any trips this past weekend due to the weather, and doesn’t have anything planned for the next couple of weekends, but he is looking forward to returning to Knoxville soon.

Hart also visited the Volunteers in June and had a good experience then. This time around, he will get a chance to see a potential top-five matchup between Tennessee (currently ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll) and Alabama (currently ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll).

“I’m hoping to see the staff show the same love they always do, but mainly for them to be dialed in and ready to compete with Alabama,” Hart said about Tennessee.

As mentioned, Hart will then conclude the 2024 regular season in Happy Valley. He was last at Penn State in May.

He has built strong relationships with PSU head coach James Franklin, associate head coach/defensive recruiting coordinator/cornerbacks coach Terry M. Smith, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Anthony Poindexter and several other coaches on the staff.

“I’m hoping to also see the same amount of love and the energy there, especially from the coaches,” Hart said about Penn State. I also (want to see) them show out against Maryland, especially with their strong defense.”

In addition to the three schools already mentioned, Hart has additional scholarship offers from Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and several others.

Hart ranks as the No. 24 player in the state of Virginia in the 2026 cycle. He is listed as an athlete by Rivals, and that is the most accurate distinction for Hart, as he is being recruited on both sides of the ball depending on the preference of each specific program that is pursuing him. With that said, the majority of schools are looking at Hart on the defensive side of the ball.

“Most schools are recruiting me at defensive back, but I also hold a few offers at wide receiver from schools like Virginia, Howard, Marshall and more,” Hart said. “I describe my game like a wolf on how he is smart and disguises himself on defense and how I read everything the receiver does — from how he straps his gloves on or if he pulls his knee pads up or tightens his gloves — so I can see if he is consistent with what he does on the field and so I know when he is getting the ball or not.”

While Hart noted that certain programs are making a strong impression on him already, it’s still pretty early on in his process and he is keeping all of his options open.

“A few schools are standing out to me right now, but a lot of the schools are still showing a great amount of love and building relationships,” Hart explained.

As of right now, Hart does not have a commitment timeline in mind. Following the conclusion of his junior campaign at the end of the fall, he will take some time and decide if he wants to commit to a program soon after that or wait until the summer to do so.