Michigan Football: Recruiting 3-stars isn’t the Wolverines problem

Michigan football has plenty of reasons why it has struggled to beat Ohio State, but recruiting too many three-stars isn’t the biggest issue.

The Michigan football program has struggled to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes, not just under Jim Harbaugh, but for the last two decades.

The biggest reason for that is the talent gap. It’s real and it exists, especially when it comes to elite recruits. Michigan football still recruits plenty of talented players, just look at the NFL draft. The Wolverines had 11 drafted in 2017 and 10 in 2020.

Since the 2017 NFL draft, Michigan ranks fourth among programs in terms of total players selected. The problem is that the Wolverines are still missing out on elite talent at key spots.

In the Wolverines recent recruiting run, which included another commitment Saturday from three-star linebacker Tyler McLaurin, there have been a number of three-star commitments and that has fans riled up.

More from GBMWolverine

• 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
• Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
• Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more

On some level, that’s understandable. Fans want more talented prospects and when the Buckeyes keep landing five-stars and four-star recruits left and right, it makes sense.

But, let’s not pretend that all three-star prospects, as well as all four-stars are created equal. They aren’t. And I would argue that Michigan’s problem isn’t having too many three-star recruits, the problem is a lack of elite high-end talent.

Case in point, since Jim Harbaugh has been at Michigan as the head coach, the Wolverines have landed six five-star recruits according to the 247 sports composite rankings: Rashan Gary, Aubrey Solomon, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Daxton Hill,  Chris Hinton and in the 2021 class, J.J. McCarthy.

That’s about an average of one five-star per recruiting class, which is actually much better than most programs do. However, it just doesn’t compare very well to Ohio State, which has secured commitments from six five-star recruits in the past two cycles alone.

It’s not like the Buckeyes don’t take three-star kids. They do. In 2020, when Ohio State had the top class in the Big Ten and the fifth-ranked class in the country, it still signed eight three-star prospects.

And let’s not forget, Michigan does have four four-star recruits committed in 2021, as well as a five-star quarterback. The Wolverines are a top-10 program when it comes to recruiting, just like they are a top 10-15 program overall.

The reality, in terms of rankings, is that three and four stars are likely closer in terms of talent and ability, than most four and five stars. It’s like the NFL draft. There is probably a greater difference between first-rounders and third-rounders, than third-sounders and seventh-rounders.

Michigan has done well with three-star recruits, because it scouts and develops talent well. It’s not getting the five-star talent Ohio State is right now and while it’s easy to point to three-star commitments as the issue, the Buckeyes are just off in their own world right now.