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Just over a week ago, many Michigan football fans asked when the Wolverines were going to see the 2021 class build beyond the two commits who had been in the fold for nearly a year. Yes, the class had a high quality look with four-star OT Giovanni El-Hadi and five-star QB J.J. McCarthy already pledged to the class. But it was lacking in quantity.
That’s changed greatly over the course of the past several days, with five pledges pushing Michigan’s class to seven strong. But the Wolverines are measured against the Buckeyes, a team that has 15 commits, including three five-stars. However great Ohio State’s class might end up being — and it might be the best it’s ever brought in, which is saying something — classes shouldn’t be fully judged until pen is put to paper during either of the two signing periods. This counts more for Michigan in this instance.
It’s actually somewhat of an aberration, to some degree, that OSU has so many high-end players already in the fold. No other team in all of college football has so many commits at the moment, and while most are sitting 5-9 pledges, there’s only five other FBS-level programs in double-digits. The most important thing to remember in recruiting is that as a rule of thumb, the higher-end, more sought after prospects make decisions later rather than sooner.
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By higher-end, we’re talking more of the four-star variety than just the upper echelon. Yes, some prospects end their recruitment earlier than others, but look at Michigan’s class last year, for instance. While it isn’t top-heavy as there are zero five-stars, it has several high-end recruits — such as Braiden McGregor, AJ Henning, Roman Wilson, Blake Corum, etc. None of the aforementioned had committed until McGregor started the ball rolling in late May (the 24th) of last year.
It wasn’t until the final week of June in 2020 that the class truly began to take shape — similar to the year before. Michigan prioritizes that big visit weekend late in the month, and, pending the ability to hold visits at that time this year — uncertain due to the concerns over the novel coronavirus — things should be no different.
So far, the 2021 class looks solid for Michigan with a five-star quarterback, two four-star offensive linemen, a four-star tight end, two three-star defensive players and a five-star kicker/punter. (For disambiguation purposes for those who question the ranking on the kicker, there are separate sites that specialize in ranking specialization players. It makes no sense to compare a special teams player directly to a skill player.) With several prospects that might be Michigan leans who will decide later, this class could be up near the top of those brought into Ann Arbor once it’s said and done.
Those who Michigan is still in contention with include five-star DL Damon Payne, four-stars RB Donovan Edwards, TE Thomas Fidone, DT Victory Vaka, OL/DL Rocco Spindler, DT Rayshaun Benny, CB AJ Green, WR D’onte Thornton, DE Quintin Somerville, CB Ishmael Ibraheem, DT Jay Toia, LB Jamari Buddin and several more. The Wolverines are in good standing with all of the above at the moment, and they also are seeking many players who are currently three-star prospects that could end up being four-stars once everything is said and done. Remember: it’s not where players start in the rankings that matters as much as it is where they finish. Beyond that, it’s how they develop in the college ranks that matters most. At this time two years ago, Michigan WR/KR Giles Jackson was a three-star with just a handful of offers. It wasn’t until he showed out in The Opening in July that he earned a fourth star and became a household name in the recruiting ranks.
Nearly every recruiting post we make comes with some kind of consternation from fans who want to know why Michigan isn’t recruiting at the level of Ohio State. Well, the Buckeyes have been heads and shoulders above Michigan in recent memory, and have three College Football Playoff appearances and are regulars in Indianapolis to boot. Still, the maize and blue are recruiting at just a tier below, in our estimation, and generally above the rest of the Big Ten. The key to it all is patience. To react in March or April to where the team is recruiting-wise is premature. Those reactions should happen in December and February.
For now, note that the Wolverines are in good standing with most of the prospects they really want. At this time of year, that’s the most you can ask for. So sit back, enjoy the ride, and hopefully in 2-3 months, if you’re concerned now, those feelings will start to wash away.