On December 4th 2021, Michigan football raised the Big Ten Championship trophy. After years of disappointment and coming up short, they were on top of the Big Ten and heading to the College Football Playoff. As the 2022 NFL Draft rolled around in April, 2 Wolverines went in the first round Aiden Hutchinson (2nd overall) and Daxton Hill (31st overall). Everything was lining up for a great recruiting summer. However, the Wolverines have stalled out on the recruiting trail. The month of June yielded 1 blue chip commitment. Just one. Clemson and Texas landed 12 blue chippers each. The biggest reason seems to be a failure in adaptation in recruiting pitch from Michigan and Jim Harbaugh.
Recruiting is Different with NIL
NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has changed the landscape of college football recruiting. No matter how you feel about NIL, it affects how athletes make decisions. In a sport where one misstep can cost you your career, it makes sense that a person would take the money. Many college programs have adapted well to this change and using NIL in their recruiting pitch. Michigan, it seems, has not made that adaptation. As mentioned above, Michigan checked all of the boxes for a great recruiting pitch…if you were recruiting 5 years ago.
Harbaugh’s Recruiting Message is Stuck in the Past
One of the top recruits Michigan coveted was 5 star WR Johntay Cook. He ended up committing to Texas and posted a video talking about what he went through in the recruiting process. His thoughts did not paint Harbaugh and Michigan in a great light. The sales pitch felt similar to every other pitch and Harbaugh did nothing to build an actual relationship with the player. Michigan has been careful with how much they embrace NIL and the reason is not necessarily a bad one. If a freshman comes in making $1 million, there could be some resentment from older players who are making nothing. However, other teams have clearly figured out the balance and are landing the top recruits. Some of the recruits Michigan are whiffing on are embarrassing.
Biggest Whiffs in Michigan Recruiting
WR Johntay Cook was clearly a whiff. Michigan has a long history of great WRs and an up and coming offense. Edge rushers Enow Etta and Collins Acheampong, are taking more time to review their NIL offers from other schools while Michigan simply hopes they turn down money for a chance to play in a defense that has been great for edge rushers. The biggest miss is QB CJ Carr. This 5 star recruit recently committed to Notre Dame which is painful in itself until you realize that CJ Carr is the grandson of Lloyd Carr. Yes that Lloyd Carr. One of the most winningest coaches in the program’s history. Michigan couldn’t even convince his grandson to come to the team.
For Michigan fans, the hope is that this is a bump in the road. We all have bad months in our jobs. Maybe Harbaugh had a bad month and will rebound in July with blue chip recruits inking letters of intent to Michigan. If not, this could put Michigan on its back foot for years to come.