Offensive lineman Ben Braden, who is from Rockford, Michigan, gave a verbal commitment to the Michigan football program on Thursday. By committing, he became Brady Hoke's first commit for the class of 2012.
Braden is a 6-foot-6 offensive tackle. He is unrated on Rivals and has three stars on Scout, which also lists defensive end as a position he plays. ESPN has him listed as an offensive tackle, but it has yet to rate him as well.
In addition to Michigan, Braden has offers from Michigan State, Wisconsin and Syracuse, according to Rivals and Scout. Braden passed those schools up to end the recruiting process early on in the year and pledge to join the Wolverines. It is expected that he is merely the first of many offensive linemen that will end up being a part of Michigan's 2012 recruiting class. Michigan will lose a few offensive linemen after the 2011 season, so building depth will be important for the Wolverines with the class of 2012.