Brandon senior standout wrestler Eric Grajales has verbally committed to Michigan.

Grajales, a three-time undefeated state champion for the Eagles who is rated the nation’s No. 2 overall recruit, chose the Wolverines over Penn, Cornell and Columbia. Grajales had made official visits to all four programs, the last one being this past weekend.

“I knew going into [the recruiting process] that all four schools, all four were great academically and all four had great wrestling programs. I just felt like Michigan was the place I could strive in and accomplish all of my goals at the collegiate level,” Grajales said. “I knew I had to go to a place where my heart wanted to be. That’s what it came down to. I knew in my heart that’s where I wanted to be and that’s where I needed to be to strive and accomplish all I wanted to accomplish.”

Michigan was the first program Grajales visited, on Sept. 3, and the Wolverines immediately became the frontrunner for his services after that trip to Ann Arbor.

“I was open [in my recruitment] to an extent, but I also knew Michigan set a really high standard and it would be incredibly hard for the others to live up to,” Grajales said.

Grajales said the decision ultimately came down to Michigan and Penn, the school where his older brother, Cesar, currently wrestles. However, the vibe he got from his time at Michigan was just overwhelming.

“Just being at Michigan, I felt like I was at home. I just blended in with the guys so well,” Grajales said. “The guys there were great. I felt like it was a place I could spend four or five years of my life at and form lifelong relationships.”

Grajales, who this summer wrestled in the U.S. Olympic Trials, plans to sign with the Wolverines in November.

“They have a great program,” Grajales said. “I feel like the guys there, the guys that I will be training with, will help me become the best I can be.”