UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[froot loops]

I'm just being realistic and combined with my distaste for the trends in CFB, my interest in it, including in following M football, isn't going to be high on my list of interests that I'll focus on.

.

I'm sure this is not true.

[lineygoblue]

Michigan has received a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Enow Etta, who is now the highest-rated recruit in the Wolverines’ 2023 class. He is rated the nation’s No. 8 defensive lineman by 247Sports Composite. He had offers from Michigan State, Alabama, Stanford, and Oklahoma, among others.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/07/13/michigan-football-recruiting-commitment-2023-enow-etta/10050190002/

Etta is a good pickup, and I hope M can actually get his signature on a LOI. Lots of time left before he can sign. It'll be tough to hang on to a player ranked that high.

The remainder of M's 2023 class is completely unspectacular. They'll be fortunate to finish ranked in the top half of the conference in recruiting. Its that bad, and they've lost out on some very good players. There's not a lot left out there that is uncommitted, that M has a realistic chance of signing.

[Hannibal]

Only Michigan could follow up their best season in 24 years with a complete shitshow of a recruiting class. We’ve got another Ricchrod special outfit here.

[lineygoblue]

Michigan beats out CMU for this commitment.

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2022/07/manuel-beigel-class-of-2024-dl-prospect-from-germany-commits-to-michigan-football.html?utm_campaign=wolverines_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3ipffkE8lFmm6xQxyTTLfNSyqEyDksy06JJVyg-28u-7Bbzp-ntkHiFnE

This one doesn't even deserve any commentary, other than:

Somewhere, Rich Rodriguez is smiling.

[THE_WIZARD_]

HARBAUGH!!!!!

[Rob F]

Michigan beats out CMU for this commitment.

https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/202...7Bbzp-ntkHiFnE

This one doesn't even deserve any commentary, other than:

Somewhere, Rich Rodriguez is smiling.

Not at all surprising that he only had one offer so far: Der jünger Herr Beigel ist noch ein Kind and won't be on campus as a true college freshman until the fall of 2024. He's already 6'4" 282 lbs with 2 years of high school eligibility remaining.

https://twitter.com/ManuBeigel/statu...J9CE6LMvQ&s=19

[Jeff Buchanan]

I don't know if this is something or whether it is the raising of a white flag by Michigan football insiders that signals, "we're not going to turn M football into an NFL combine and a competative race in signing what is considered 'top talent' by the rating services. We won't weaponize NIL or the portal."

The implicatons? Can't and won't say but I'm certainly not suggesting M football will be "better off" with a signing approach like this.

[lineygoblue]

They're going to hold out, and focus on doing things "the Michigan way", whatever that is. NIL and the portal will get sprinkled in occasionally, but there won't be a full commitment to use either to their fullest advantages.

Harbaugh acts as though the portal doesn't exist except to have players exit his team. Michigan has only brought in a handful of players since the portal became a thing.

[THE_WIZARD_]

HARBAUGH!!!!!!!!!!

[WM Wolverine]

M 'settling' for a bunch of international players, who are ironically not eligible for NIL, implies a lot.

[iam416]

HARBAUGH!!!! was average recruiter before NIL. If M isn’t going to compete on that front then the program will eventually end up withering to Wisconsin levels if Wisconsin was stuck in the East.

[Mike]

Just like we all knew it would. One of the top few richest programs/alumni bases in the country but can’t be troubled with contemporary dynamics.

[froot loops]

I'm not sure if it is a valid factor, excuse or rationalization but the mgoblog guys say the Michigan's transfer policies are a big roadblock to transfer portals. Basically they reject a lot of classes and that would make the player ineligible in the first year. It's supposedly why you see mostly grad transfers. If this is a valid factor, it kind of handcuffs HARBAUGH!

Other than the transfer portal what you are seeing with HARBAUGH isn't a surprise. 95 percent of these college football coaches have a shelf life. The big energy a coach brings to recruiting dissipates over time unless you are Nick Saban.

How many high school football programs are there in Europe?

[Whitley]

I'm not sure if it is a valid factor, excuse or rationalization but the mgoblog guys say the Michigan's transfer policies are a big roadblock to transfer portals. Basically they reject a lot of classes and that would make the player ineligible in the first year. It's supposedly why you see mostly grad transfers. If this is a valid factor, it kind of handcuffs HARBAUGH!
?

I remember hearing on a sports show like a month ago, John U. Bacon said that Harbaugh AND Howard have gone to administration about how tough it is to get to people in from the transfer portal. Administration was like....that is cute but we don't care.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Don Canham made M football the front porch to Michigan the school. When James Duderstadt became president in 1988, he bowed to pressure from the faculty council who were insistent on making academics more front and center at M.

Schembechler retired from coaching in 1989 and became AD. There was a lot of friction between Duderstadt and Bo left for the Tigers presidency in 90. Carr had some success but the transition to his successor, managed by Bill Martin, was a disaster. RichRod began the decade in the wilderness until Harbaugh was hired. That's been a less than expected and disappointing ride for M football. Mainly because administration at multiple levels in the school itself had little interest in doing what they needed to do to boost football.program health.

The football program has never returned to its position of strength that Canham elevated it to and any one following the program knows the reasons why. Not hard. Froot summarized them well.