5-star QB Jadyn Davis is next big test for Michigan Football recruiting

If Michigan football was able to land the commitment of five-star QB Jadyn Davis, that would quiet the doubters about the Wolverines’ recruiting.

Earlier this summer, there were a lot of critics of Michigan football recruiting and I was one of them. But the Wolverines have silenced some of those with a slew of four-star commitments in the month of July, namely from Enow Etta and Collins Acheampong.

Both of those recruits were courted heavily by NIL offers from Michigan State and Miami. However, the Wolverines’ approach of “transformational, not transactional” won out and that was a really good sign going forward.

If that can work with Etta and Acheampong, that pitch should work with other top-flight recruits — as in hopefully Nyckoles Harbor and five-star QB Jadyn Davis.

Harbor is a track phenom and has said that NIL won’t play a huge factor in his recruitment, because basically, he’s going to get paid wherever he goes and he knows it. He’s 6-foot-5, 230-some pounds, and runs the 100-meters in sub 10.3.

Even if he’s not a great college football player or NFL prospect, he’s probably going to have a chance to be in the Olympics. So NIL is going to happen for him regardless.

That’s a good thing for Michigan football and most recruiting experts agree that the Wolverines are the leader for Harbor right now, with the caveat that his recruitment could go till February.

Most recruiting experts also agree that Michigan football leads with another critical recruiting target, this one being Davis, the five-star QB in the class of 2024.

Why Michigan football has to land Jadyn Davis

After missing on CJ Carr and Dante Moore, Davis is a must-land. He also loved his unofficial visit and really seemed to connect with Jim Harbaugh. He wants a coach that can develop him for the NFL and Harbaugh has a proven track record of working with QBs.

The On3 prediction machine even has Michigan as the leader right now, but, the Wolverines were viewed as the leader with Moore and Carr at one point too. You have to close and Michigan is likely going to try to do that at the recruiting BBQ this month.

Davis is going to visit and while he has said he wants to take official visits before making a decision, the Wolverines should press him and some of his teammates for commitments.

Michigan isn’t going to make promises up front but it should only have to point to J.J. McCarthy to show that NIL is working well at Michigan.

It might seem early for a 2024 quarterback but Carr and Dylan Raiola are two of the top passers in the class and have pledged to Notre Dame and Ohio State respectively.

Quarterbacks tend to commit earlier and earlier. McCarthy committed the spring before his senior season, so Davis would be earlier than that.

But the longer any recruitment goes, the more opportunity it gives others and Clemson is one that is waiting in the wings too with a recent offer.

Winning this recruitment would show that the Wolverines can win just about any and that would be a positive thing to have, even if it happened in the 2024 class.

The impact would trickle down and it would show once and for all that Michigan football still has the ability to land elite, five-star recruits.