In the wake of the bombshell news that USC and UCLA would be dumping the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, college football recruiting professionals began to contemplate the concern: How do the newbies from the West Coast stack up when it comes to hiring?
Limiting their focus just to dedications for the 2023 season, the folks over at 247Sports.com ranked the groups, consistingof the Trojans and Bruins, 1-16.
Ohio State came in at No. 1, which is no surprise as the Buckeyes rank 2nd nationally, tracking just Notre Dame. Also barely a surprise, USC ranked No. 3, behind just the Buckeyes and Penn State.
But then things got intriguing. The Bruins, who just have 5 devotes so far, ranked No. 15, ahead of just Indiana.
One area above UCLA? The Michigan Wolverines.
“There’s absolutely some consternation surrounding Michigan football recruiting right now,” composed 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter. “The Wolverines broke through last year by knocking off Ohio State and making it to the College Football Playoff. Michigan has followed it up by completely havingahardtime on the path. Jim Harbaugh has simply 6 devotes and its class rates No. 55 in the nation, however there’s still time to make a rise.”
Michigan’s hasahardtime may be, in part, a outcome of the group’s success last season, as the Wolverines lost both planners — Offensive Coordinator Josh Gattis to the exactsame task with Miami, and Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald leapt to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
Harbaugh himself likewise flirted with the NFL priorto eventually choosing to return.
But the coach isn’t anxious, and he discussed why in an interview with previous Michigan assistant Jed Hughes on his podcast.
“It’s going truly great,” Harbaugh stated. “We’ve gone through the procedure. A lot of the ‘23 hires, we’ve been recruiting for a year, however some for 6 months, some for a month even, at times. Some we’re determining weekly, right now, as we go through football camps. Just like we’re beginning to hire a lot of children in the ‘24 class, the ‘25 class, getting to understand kids in the ‘26 class.
“But actually, when it comes to recruiting in the ‘23 class, now is when it starts. Because that’s when authorities gosto start — this month, the month of April and May and June. June is the huge month for authorities gosto, where you get knee to knee, eyeball to eyeball, with the young male, his household, brotherorsisters, coaches. That’s when you truly get to understand someone, in my viewpoint. A long and relyingon relationship is began and established.”
Harbaugh may be . But it’s difficult to reject that Ohio State, Penn State and USC are off to much muchbetter begins on the recruiting path.
And the Wolverines lost a huge hire on Friday when linebacker Raylen Wilson decommitted from the Wolverines to make an anticipated flip to Georgia.
Still, there is plenty of time for the Wolverines to turn things around.
But as Harbaugh himself stated, “now is when it starts.”
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