For a time this offseason, Michigan football didn’t just have the top 2024 recruiting class in the Big Ten, but it was the best in all of college football. However, after some losses on the trail, as well as some player re-ranks, the Wolverines have fallen — but not too far.
Meanwhile, rival Ohio State went from having an OK class to a stellar one. The Buckeyes have beaten the maize and blue head to head on a handful of recruitments, prominently with cornerback Bryce West and defensive tackle Justin Scott. OSU is in the mix for several other top prospects, including cornerback Aaron Scott (who Michigan is also contending for), as well as five-stars Eddrick Houston and Dylan Stewart.
Does that mean that Ohio State is poised for the best class in the conference and not Michigan? Not so fast, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren says. ($)
Ohio State will run away with the best recruiting class in the Big Ten
The Buckeyes currently have the No. 3 overall class and the top class in the Big Ten. Ryan Day and his staff have had a ton of success in the 2024 cycle with 11 ESPN 300 commitments, including five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Air Noland.
The verdict: Overreaction
While Day is recruiting at a high level, Michigan and Penn State are right behind, as the Wolverines and Nittany Lions sit at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
The Buckeyes have 11 commits in the top 300, while Michigan has 12 and Penn State has 10. This has been as close of a race in the conference in quite some time, and either of the three teams could finish out front.
Ohio State is still in the mix for five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart, ESPN 300 defensive lineman Eddrick Houston and ESPN 300 cornerback Aaron Scott among a handful of others. The Wolverines are also in it for Scott, as well as ESPN 300 receiver Gatlin Bair, defensive end Brian Robinson and edge rusher Jacob Smith, among others.
The Nittany Lions are still in it for ESPN 300 linebacker Chris Cole, four-star linebacker Jaylen Harvey and plenty of other big-name recruits as well.
The race is hardly over, and Ohio State will have to battle to keep the top spot. In the bigger picture, the level of competition is a big win for the Big Ten, especially with USC and UCLA joining the league in 2024.
Of course, the Buckeyes are trending up while Michigan is trending slightly down. But if the Wolverines were able to steal away Aaron Scott, it could get the momentum back in their favor.
Recruiting classes are assembled in the spring and summer, but certainly aren’t final until early signing day in December.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal title=”An offer for Wolverines fans” description=”For the best local Detroit news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.” url=”https://cm.freep.com/channeloffer?gps-source=CPSMGMIDARTICLE&utm_source=smg&utm_medium=inline&utm_content=wolverineswire&utm_campaign=smgtolocal&offer=W-SF&barBuild=atoms-pid” button_text=”$1 for 3 months”]