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Michigan Football Recruiting: Show us, Don’t Tell us about Players

By Grant Dossetto

Feb 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh announces new recruits during the special event, "Signing of the Stars," at Hill Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY NETWORK
Feb 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh announces new recruits during the special event, "Signing of the Stars," at Hill Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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Michigan football has done well in recruiting, but that doesn’t change the fact that recruiting in general is getting a little over the top.

When the new Big Ten media contract was signed there was controversy. The deal called for Friday night games throughout the season.

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Many schools have refused. Michigan football is one team that won’t play. Michigan State has agreed to do only Labor Day weekend, something they’ve done for years now anyways. Ohio State agreed to a weekend in October when students are off on break. Wisconsin also said only Labor Day.

Jim Harbaugh said no to any Friday with the explanation that he was concerned it would take away from high school games.

Watching the saturation of recruiting coverage brings to mind a similar principle: Show, don’t tell. This year was punctuated by the ridiculous half-hour special on Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones, who eventually committed to play for Michigan football starting next season.

The announcement was grating in a similar fashion as LeBron’s “Decision” to take his talents to South Beach. At least LeBron was an established all-star NBA player. Peoples-Jones is barely eligible for military service. It is too much for someone who has yet to enroll in college yet?

Did viewers gain anything from the coverage? No. Could it be harmful? How many 18-year-olds do you know who wouldn’t let a primetime ESPN special go to their head?

Instead fans should be shown why Peoples-Jones is a five-star recruit. If only there was a televised showcase of his talents that occurred on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s (MHSAA) biggest stage.

Since the high school playoffs expanded to their current format of 8 divisions (or classes if you are old enough to remember those) and five rounds, the state title games have been played on Thanksgiving weekend.

Until a couple years ago the MHSAA had that weekend to themselves. The Big Ten ended the week before and the Lions play Thanksgiving afternoon. I can remember going to the old Pontiac Silverdome to watch with 30-thousand others.

It has always been set up so the most important games (Division Two on Friday and Division One on Saturday) kick off at 1 PM. There is no worry that television coverage on Fox Sports Detroit is preempted by Red Wings hockey or Pistons basketball and early afternoon is prime football time.

Cass Tech won the state title this year with Peoples-Jones making some phenomenal plays. Cass Tech exploded in the third quarter for 21 points in less than 10 minutes of game play. You never watched though.

Thanksgiving Saturday is now the end of the B1G season and The Game was on down the dial. It is game action, particularly against a storied program like Catholic Central, that tells fans why Peoples-Jones matters.

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Instead, we get to hear analysis from ESPN who have never seen him play. If Harbaugh and other Big Ten coaches truly care about prep sports, it is time to find a way to change the schedule. If you want us to care about recruiting, the players need exposure in a way that gets past the mere superficial. Making the state championship important again is a good start.

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