Michigan Football must improve recruiting to sustain its success

Last season was great for Michigan football but in order to make it a regular thing, the Wolverines have to get better on the recruiting trail. 

2021 was the greatest season of Michigan football since 2004. But there’s still more work to be done.

The momentous defeat of Ohio State was a true turning point for a program that had become the butt of national jokes. Jim Harbaugh’s hot seat immediately cooled off, and for a moment the Wolverines were on the top of the world.

But reality hit the Wolverines in the face in the playoff semifinal, when they faced a Georgia team that clearly outclassed them in size, strength, and speed. Georgia’s athletes torched Michigan football’s much-ballyhooed defense for 521 yards.

When looking at the talent differential between the two rosters, it’s not difficult to see why the game turned out this way.

The 247 team talent composite rankings had Georgia #2 nationally, while Michigan sat at #15. Georgia’s average player rating is an astounding 93.52 while Michigan’s is 89.02.

While that gap might not seem massive, it essentially means that Michigan’s average recruit is a high 3-star whereas Georgia’s is a mid 4-star.

Recruiting rankings matter and Michigan needs to get better

There are many who claim that recruiting rankings aren’t that important. I am here to tell you that this is complete hogwash. Since Kirby Smart arrived in Athens, either Alabama or Georgia have landed the #1 overall class according to the 247 composite. Therefore, it shouldn’t have been shocking at all that both aforementioned programs met in the national title game last season.

There is only one midwestern program that regularly recruits at a level high enough to win a national title in any given year: Ohio State.

The 247 team talent composite ranks Ohio State at number 3 nationally, trailing right behind Georgia and Alabama. The Buckeyes’ 2021 recruiting class had 12 top-100 players whereas Michigan’s only had four top-100 players.

With a talent gap this substantive, it shouldn’t be shocking that Michigan football has only managed to defeat Ohio State once in a decade.

Despite the stunning win last November, the Ohio State program is still positioned to compete for national titles on an annual basis, whereas Michigan’s ceiling remains stuck at potentially winning the Big 10 every so often.

To start to close the talent gap with the undisputed top dogs in the sport, Michigan football needs to be willing to pull players from the transfer portal and accept more of their credits.

The transfer portal allowed Michigan State to accelerate its rebuild by getting Kareem Walker. Michigan needs more explosion and depth on offense, and the transfer portal allows for programs to quickly patch roster holes.

Michigan football also needs to weaponize NIL.

The Wolverines have one of the largest, wealthiest, and football-crazy alumni bases in the country. Instead of utilizing this insane advantage over its peers, Michigan has instead dragged its feet. Texas A&M took the opposite route, utilizing NIL to the maximum extent possible.

Michigan needs to decide what it wants to be: great or very good?