"It feels like the beginning."
That's what Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said following the program's first win over Ohio State in 10 years.
The Buckeyes walked out more highly recruited players who had more stars, higher expectations but absolutely zero fight.
What Harbaugh did this offseason was extraordinary, even for him. He took a pay cut. Revised & reinvented his staff. Got his team to buy into his madness. Then beat the wheels off of Ohio State.
It feels like the beginning of things to come.
In recruiting, the seismic shift can already be felt like an earthquake as Michigan's victory impacted the many eyes of recruits who populated its sideline Saturday afternoon.
No matter the success, no matter the record, if this crew couldn't beat Ohio State in Week 12 it wasn't competing with the Buckeyes in recruiting.
In conversations with recruits, you can tell the impact the team's elevated success this season had on them. Last year's team couldn't be taken seriously. This team refused to not be.
The energy and the attitude on the field, whether they were there or watching on screen, stood out to the long list of prospects on Michigan's board.
But one thing was missing.
Could Michigan jump that gap? Make that leap? Could it do the damn thing?
In a snow-globed Michigan Stadium, what's usually a gloomy day in Ann Arbor was paradise on turf.
This win is leading to commitments that could come at any time. It's made a long-lasting impact on various 2023 and 2024 prospects.
And most importantly, the conversation about this game and using every inch of it as a recruiting tool lasts for 364 more days. Michigan will use every bit of it in recruiting after years of having to defend it.
Let's talk shop.
4-star DT Joel Starlings
Starlings was blown away on his visit to Ann Arbor.
Minutes after the clock hit zero, he texted me: "IM GASSED! Amazing!!!!!!!"
The gameday atmosphere and an excellent relationship with Shaun Nua & Mike Macdonald has made Michigan a legitimate leader in his recruitment.
"The recent visit just solidified it for me. I've always had it in the back of my mind that this was the place."
He's exactly what you're looking for if you're in the crowd that's been pleading for elite interior defensive tackle play, less this year than in the past. Starlings is ranked No. 188 overall in his class right now, but he could rise into the Rivals100 with his upside.
We put our FutureCasts in earlier today.
(Starlings announced his commitment via Twitter around 9pm Sunday night. He deleted the tweet. We’re seeing if there’s any significance to that.)
Texas DE Ethan Burke
No, he has no stars right now but I don't think the No. 2 team in the country is out there throwing seeds at birds.
Michigan learned from this year to prioritize recruiting kids that fit its uber-competitive, gritty mold. A 6-foot-7 undersized defensive end from Texas. Folks, this is Michigan's bread and butter.
Burke has experienced a similar elation following his trip.
Boarding a flight back home to Texas, Burke gave me a call Sunday evening.
"I've never experienced anything like that," he said. "Their technology is so far above every other place I've been. They have it down to a science."
The Wolverines have sold Burke on him being its next big project, noting the physical improvements he will experience if he commits to Michigan's strength & conditioning program.
"The conversation with Coach Harbaugh, whew, that was pretty cool," he said. "It was just a normal conversation. He treated me like a normal human being."
Michigan's calmness in its approach with Burke is what might ultimately win his recruitment for them.
And it might come sooner than they think.
Josh & I both have a FutureCast. I’ll have a full story with more quotes from Burke tomorrow.
5-star CB Domani Jackson
It's no secret that Jackson -- or Domani, as you all call him -- is the elephant in the room.
Did Michigan hit the home run it needed?
That question remains to be answered.
At the very least, we know it did everything it could. A lucrative NIL deal, a dominant performance against Ohio State, a great showing from Michigan's corners, and a village of Wolverine commmitments and targets surrounding him.
Most importantly, his parents were there.
We'll see how this all plays out. I'm digging and will update in a separate thread.
All that being said, Jackson made it clear early on and throughout his recruitment that he wanted to see Michigan take that next step.
Your move, Domani.
4-star S Keon Sabb
The Clemson commit made his way to Ann Arbor and is riding the same wavelength many are after a perfectly scripted weekend for Michigan in front of big-time prospects like Sabb.
I've heard this situation is drawing closer to a conclusion that sees Sabb in a different cap on National Signing Day.
From Josh's post on Sabb yesterday:
On the Clemson side of things, it's unclear what Sabb's intentions are with the visit to Ann Arbor. I am told from a source that Sabb has been 'saying all the right things,' to the Clemson staff even before the visit, it was something the staff was aware of and prepared for. Saying and doing are two different things but it's worth noting what's going on with the Clemson side of things.
On the Michigan side, there was optimism in U-M circles that a flip could happen to the Wolverines. One source said that the optimism only increased with Sabb arriving on campus. The performance against the Buckeyes could only help the cause.
4-star Anthony James II (Texas A&M commit)
James II is from Wylie (Tex.) East High School, but he was born in Flint and is spending two weeks in Michigan visiting his family.
His father posted a picture saying it was good to be back home.
His mother is wearing a "Made In Flint," t-shirt.
"Good trip and game! I loved it. I can't wait to be back up," he said Saturday.
Michigan is a serious threat to the Aggies here. I'm not putting in a FutureCast yet, but I feel good about this one.
4-star OL Joe Crocker
Crocker is a 6-foot-7, 310-pound tower who is ranked as the 20th best offensive tackle in the 2023 class.
He's good friends with new Michigan commit Joel Starlings, and he too was elated in texts following the trip.
"The game was crazy! The atmosphere was electric from start to finish," he said. "You can really tell the fans love for their team as I was probably told by like 100 people to commit, and asking about when I will commit."
I asked him how he answered those people.
"Yeah, I said maybe. The visit for sure makes them stand out to me and I wanna come back soon," he said. "But I would say Michigan will be a contender moving forward I just have a lot of time left in the recruiting process."
He has an outstanding relationship with Steve Clinkscale, who recruited him during his time at Kentucky.
That's all for now, friends. I'll have plenty of new content up tomorrow, or maybe even tonight, on the board and front page.
Let the good times roll.
That's what Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said following the program's first win over Ohio State in 10 years.
The Buckeyes walked out more highly recruited players who had more stars, higher expectations but absolutely zero fight.
What Harbaugh did this offseason was extraordinary, even for him. He took a pay cut. Revised & reinvented his staff. Got his team to buy into his madness. Then beat the wheels off of Ohio State.
It feels like the beginning of things to come.
In recruiting, the seismic shift can already be felt like an earthquake as Michigan's victory impacted the many eyes of recruits who populated its sideline Saturday afternoon.
No matter the success, no matter the record, if this crew couldn't beat Ohio State in Week 12 it wasn't competing with the Buckeyes in recruiting.
In conversations with recruits, you can tell the impact the team's elevated success this season had on them. Last year's team couldn't be taken seriously. This team refused to not be.
The energy and the attitude on the field, whether they were there or watching on screen, stood out to the long list of prospects on Michigan's board.
But one thing was missing.
Could Michigan jump that gap? Make that leap? Could it do the damn thing?
In a snow-globed Michigan Stadium, what's usually a gloomy day in Ann Arbor was paradise on turf.
This win is leading to commitments that could come at any time. It's made a long-lasting impact on various 2023 and 2024 prospects.
And most importantly, the conversation about this game and using every inch of it as a recruiting tool lasts for 364 more days. Michigan will use every bit of it in recruiting after years of having to defend it.
Let's talk shop.
4-star DT Joel Starlings
Starlings was blown away on his visit to Ann Arbor.
Minutes after the clock hit zero, he texted me: "IM GASSED! Amazing!!!!!!!"
The gameday atmosphere and an excellent relationship with Shaun Nua & Mike Macdonald has made Michigan a legitimate leader in his recruitment.
"The recent visit just solidified it for me. I've always had it in the back of my mind that this was the place."
He's exactly what you're looking for if you're in the crowd that's been pleading for elite interior defensive tackle play, less this year than in the past. Starlings is ranked No. 188 overall in his class right now, but he could rise into the Rivals100 with his upside.
We put our FutureCasts in earlier today.
(Starlings announced his commitment via Twitter around 9pm Sunday night. He deleted the tweet. We’re seeing if there’s any significance to that.)
Texas DE Ethan Burke
No, he has no stars right now but I don't think the No. 2 team in the country is out there throwing seeds at birds.
Michigan learned from this year to prioritize recruiting kids that fit its uber-competitive, gritty mold. A 6-foot-7 undersized defensive end from Texas. Folks, this is Michigan's bread and butter.
Burke has experienced a similar elation following his trip.
Boarding a flight back home to Texas, Burke gave me a call Sunday evening.
"I've never experienced anything like that," he said. "Their technology is so far above every other place I've been. They have it down to a science."
The Wolverines have sold Burke on him being its next big project, noting the physical improvements he will experience if he commits to Michigan's strength & conditioning program.
"The conversation with Coach Harbaugh, whew, that was pretty cool," he said. "It was just a normal conversation. He treated me like a normal human being."
Michigan's calmness in its approach with Burke is what might ultimately win his recruitment for them.
And it might come sooner than they think.
Josh & I both have a FutureCast. I’ll have a full story with more quotes from Burke tomorrow.
5-star CB Domani Jackson
It's no secret that Jackson -- or Domani, as you all call him -- is the elephant in the room.
Did Michigan hit the home run it needed?
That question remains to be answered.
At the very least, we know it did everything it could. A lucrative NIL deal, a dominant performance against Ohio State, a great showing from Michigan's corners, and a village of Wolverine commmitments and targets surrounding him.
Most importantly, his parents were there.
We'll see how this all plays out. I'm digging and will update in a separate thread.
All that being said, Jackson made it clear early on and throughout his recruitment that he wanted to see Michigan take that next step.
Your move, Domani.
4-star S Keon Sabb
The Clemson commit made his way to Ann Arbor and is riding the same wavelength many are after a perfectly scripted weekend for Michigan in front of big-time prospects like Sabb.
I've heard this situation is drawing closer to a conclusion that sees Sabb in a different cap on National Signing Day.
From Josh's post on Sabb yesterday:
On the Clemson side of things, it's unclear what Sabb's intentions are with the visit to Ann Arbor. I am told from a source that Sabb has been 'saying all the right things,' to the Clemson staff even before the visit, it was something the staff was aware of and prepared for. Saying and doing are two different things but it's worth noting what's going on with the Clemson side of things.
On the Michigan side, there was optimism in U-M circles that a flip could happen to the Wolverines. One source said that the optimism only increased with Sabb arriving on campus. The performance against the Buckeyes could only help the cause.
4-star Anthony James II (Texas A&M commit)
James II is from Wylie (Tex.) East High School, but he was born in Flint and is spending two weeks in Michigan visiting his family.
His father posted a picture saying it was good to be back home.
His mother is wearing a "Made In Flint," t-shirt.
"Good trip and game! I loved it. I can't wait to be back up," he said Saturday.
Michigan is a serious threat to the Aggies here. I'm not putting in a FutureCast yet, but I feel good about this one.
4-star OL Joe Crocker
Crocker is a 6-foot-7, 310-pound tower who is ranked as the 20th best offensive tackle in the 2023 class.
He's good friends with new Michigan commit Joel Starlings, and he too was elated in texts following the trip.
"The game was crazy! The atmosphere was electric from start to finish," he said. "You can really tell the fans love for their team as I was probably told by like 100 people to commit, and asking about when I will commit."
I asked him how he answered those people.
"Yeah, I said maybe. The visit for sure makes them stand out to me and I wanna come back soon," he said. "But I would say Michigan will be a contender moving forward I just have a lot of time left in the recruiting process."
He has an outstanding relationship with Steve Clinkscale, who recruited him during his time at Kentucky.
That's all for now, friends. I'll have plenty of new content up tomorrow, or maybe even tonight, on the board and front page.
Let the good times roll.
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