SAGINAW, MI – Tristan Comer followed one celebration Wednesday with another Thursday.

The first was for his college. The second was for his high school.

Comer, a Freeland lineman, claimed the seventh annual Hawkins Award at the Saginaw Club. The award is given to the top Saginaw County senior football player based on athletic ability, academics and community involvement.

Thursday’s Hawkins Award came after Wednesday’s NCAA football signing day. Comer committed to play for Michigan State University, which fired Jonathan Smith, the coach who recruited Comer. The Spartans hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to take over the program.

“I definitely wanted to know who the coach was before I signed, but when it really came down to it, I love the people, the facilities and the academics at MSU,” Comer said. “I obviously love Coach Smith, but there were so many great things about MSU that whether or not Fitz was signed, I was still going to go.

“And Coach Fitz being signed is an amazing thing. He’s going to be great for MSU and great for my development.”

Comer became the seventh Saginaw County senior to win the Hawkins Award and second Freeland player, joining 2022 winner Gabe Blanchard. Freeland’s Zander Wheatley and Nouvel Catholic Central’s John Carlson finished as 2025 runners-up.

“All of them deserve the award … what they’ve accomplished is just amazing,” Freeland coach Kevin Townsend said. “With Tristan, it’s just a balance of everything.

“He doesn’t want to take the easy way out. As far as his Michigan State recruitment, they did their homework for that aspect, too. That includes his classroom work. Every single thing he does, he tries to raise the bar to the next level and the challenges that go with it.”

Comer, who has committed to MSU as an offensive lineman, was named the MLive Saginaw Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman, who carries a 4.06 grade-point average, led the Falcons with 61 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and three sacks.

He was also an MLive Saginaw Dream Team basketball player as a junior. Comer has scored more than 1,000 points for the basketball team and could hit 1,000 rebounds this season.

The potential for a memorable basketball season swayed Comer’s decision to stay at Freeland instead of graduating early from high school and enrolling at MSU in January.

“I’ve spent three years playing basketball at Freeland, helping build a championship program,” Comer said. “We just returned 12 guys, and they’ve really made Freeland feel like home for me.

“So I’m going to stick with it, and I’m going to finish out the season with them. Then I get a new home at Michigan State.”

Moving to basketball forced Comer to make some caloric adjustments. He began his junior season of football at 235 pounds but added weight when he made the move to offensive lineman from tight end.

He finished the football season at 280 pounds but has dropped to 265 for basketball.

“I’ve been bouncing up and down with my weight the whole year,” Comer said. “Now I’m back to 265, so I can get up and down the court and dunk.

“If I put on a bunch of weight really fast, then it’s more fat and I feel sluggish. But it’s not super hard for me to lose that and put on muscle. The muscle goes on a little slower, but the weight still goes up, and I feel really good.”

Comer is the son of former Arthur Hill football coach and Saginaw Valley State University kicker Jim Comer and former Birch Run three-sport athlete Jennifer (Howell) Comer, who played softball at SVSU.

“Tristan is such a humble kid,” Townsend said. “He was homecoming king, which should also tell you that the other kids like him. It says something when your peers enjoy being with you.

“Zander fits in with that, and I’m sure John does too. There are some kids that are cut from the same cloth that they don’t have things handed to them. They’re willing to work for whatever they earn.”

Comer will head to a MSU football team that already features the 2024 Hawkins Award winner, Frankenmuth grad Derrick Simmons.

“Winning this is absolutely amazing,” Comer said. “It’s a representation of the beliefs of Saginaw and the beliefs of my community. I’m extremely honored to be able to represent that.”

The Saginaw Club also honored the top senior football student athletes from each Saginaw County school, including Hugh Tanner, Birch Run; Markeece Jackson, Bridgeport; Tori Rueda, Carrollton; Blake Hoerner, Chesaning; Lleyton Hoard, Frankenmuth; Steven Katzenberger, Hemlock; Connor Greif, Heritage; Harry Ayotte, Merrill; Noah Reif, Michigan Lutheran Seminary; Mel Washington, Saginaw United; Jake Kubik, St. Charles; Jamison Pelt, Swan Valley; and Cole Strieter, Valley Lutheran.

Weather officials warn Michigan residents of Arctic air that will cause temperatures to plunge statewide Thursday night, Dec. 4, into Friday morning, Dec. 5, and create dangerously cold wind chills of minus 10 degrees in some areas.

“Yet another cold front passage will bring some brutally cold low temperatures to portions of the Midwest this morning, and then into the northern Mid-Atlantic and New England Friday morning (Dec. 5),” the National Weather Service said on Dec. 4. “Low temperatures in the negative single digits and teens for the Midwest and single digits and teens for the northern Mid-Atlantic/New England may challenge several daily record low temperatures.”

In the Upper Peninsula, air temperatures will reach single digits and wind chill values (what the temperature “feels like”) will fall to the single digits and below zero.

In the Lower Peninsula, air temperatures also will fall to single digits in some areas. Wind chill values will be in the single digits to below zero.

More: A triple-dip Polar vortex is coming. Will your state feel the chill?

“The coldest night of the season so far is ahead with lows near zero degrees Friday morning (Dec. 5),” the Northern Indiana NWS office said on X on Dec. 4. “Remember to protect the 4 P’s: People, pets, pipes, and plants. Check in on those who may be vulnerable to the cold. Expose indoor pipes to heated air and drip water if necessary.”

Weather officials say the cold plunge could result in records across Michigan this week.

In addition to the below freezing temperatures, the eastern UP remains under a winter storm warning and advisory for lake-effect snow expected to slow down Thursday afternoon, Dec. 4. So far, 3.5 inches of snow have accumulated today, Dec. 4, in Sault Ste Marie and 4.2 inches in Donaldson (south of Sault Ste. Marie), according to the NWS’s snowfall reports. Freezing spray warnings are in place for Lake Superior and gale warnings have been issued for the Great Lakes.

Here’s the National Weather Service’s temperature forecast for Michigan:

How cold will it get in the Upper Peninsula tonight?

Here are the temperature lows for the UP on Dec. 4:

• Sault Ste. Marie: 12-23 degrees; wind chill of 3 degrees
• Ironwood: 13 degrees; wind chill of minus 10 degrees to zero.
• Marquette: 13 degrees; wind chill of minus 5 to 5 degrees.
• Newberry: 20 degrees; wind chill of 1 degree.
• Escanaba: 12 degrees; wind chill of minus 5 to zero.
• Copper Harbor: 17-20 degrees; wind chill of zero to 10 degrees.
• Munising: 12 degrees; wind chill of minus 5 to zero.
• Ontonagon: 21 degrees; wind chill of zero to 5 degrees.
• Grand Marais: 14 degrees; wind chill of zero to 5 degrees.

How low will the wind chill be in northern Michigan?

Here are the temperature lows for northern Michigan on Dec. 4:

• Cheboygan: 17 degrees; wind chill of 1 degree.
• Gaylord: 11 degrees; wind chill of minus 3.
• Alpena: 16 degrees; wind chill of 2 degrees.
• Traverse City: 16 degrees; wind chill of 3 degrees.
• Manistee: 18 degrees; wind chill of 5 degrees.
• Cadillac: 8 degrees; wind chill of minus 5.
• Tawas City: 8 degrees; wind chill of minus 5.

The Wolverine’s EJ Holland and Ethan McDowell discussed several Michigan recruiting topics on the Tuesday edition of The Wolverine Live recruiting show, including the status of Top 100 EDGE commit Julian Walker.

Watch the full show in the video above.

Walker Recruitment

Michigan extended an offer to Walker in February and made him a top priority on the EDGE board throughout the offseason.

Walker made his first visit to Michigan in the spring and returned for his official visit on June 20 for Victors Weekend. It was there where the Wolverines built plenty of momentum.

Walker was considered a heavy South Carolina legacy. His father, Jamil, is a strength coach for the Gamecocks, and all signs pointed to Walker staying home. However, Michigan was able to win out.

With that said, Walker made multiple visits to South Carolina this fall. He is expected to make his decision tomorrow.

Here is what Holland said about Walker:

“Walker is a bigger EDGE at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds,” Holland said. “He has the length and he’s also more filled out than fellow EDGE commit Carter Meadows. While not as athletic as Meadows, Walker is ready to play early in his career. Having a father who is a P4 strength coach definitely a big benefit. It’s easy to see that Walker already looks the part of a college player. Keeping him in this class is extremely important. South Carolina is still a threat. This one is coming down to the wire.”

Walker is ranked as the No. 11 EDGE and No. 72 overall recruit nationally, per the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Michigan has 28 commits in its 2026 recruiting class — five-star Mineral (Va.) Louisa County running back Savion Hiter, five-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga EDGE Carter Meadows, Top 100 Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha offensive tackle Malakai Lee, Top 100 Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork EDGE Julian Walker, Rivals300 St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet defensive lineman Titan Davis, Rivals300 Billings (Mont.) West tight end Matt Ludwig, Rivals300 Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian’s offensive lineman Marky Walbridge, Rivals300 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith wide receiver Travis Johnson, Rivals300 Waco (Texas) Connally cornerback Jamarion Vincent, Rivals300 Liberty Hill (Texas) High defensive lineman Alister Vallejo, four-star Chicago (Ill.) Simeon EDGE McHale Blade, four-star Richmond (Va.) Hermitage defensive back Andre Clarke, four-star Mansfield (Texas) High wide receiver Zion Robinson, three-star Cartersville (Ga.) Cass offensive lineman Bear McWhorter, three-star Washington (D.C.) St. John’s EDGE Tariq Boney, three-star Denver (Colo.) Mullen tight end Mason Bonner, three-star Dallas (Texas) Parish Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Pile, three-star Richmond (Va.) Huguenot linebacker Markel Dabney, three-star Hinsdale (Ill.) Central kicker Micah Drescher, three-star Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales running back Jonathan Brown, three-star Wilmette (Ill.) Loyola Academy offensive lineman Tommy Fraumann, three-star Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier linebacker Aden Reeder, three-star Jackson (Miss.) Hartfield Academy linebacker Kaden Catchings, three-star Saline (Mich.) High quarterback Tommy Carr, three-star Newberry Park (Calif.) High quarterback Brady Smigiel, three-star Washington (D.C.) St. John’s offensive lineman Adrian Hamilton and three-star Phoenix (Ariz.) O’Connor long snapper Colton Dermer.

Michigan entered the day with the No. 12 ranked 2026 recruiting class nationally, per the On3 Industry team recruiting rankings. Michigan is also ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten. USC currently has the top class in the conference.