Michigan Football: 2024 recruiting outlook for Wolverines
What a week and a half for Michigan football. Dominating Ohio State in Columbus and winning the Big Ten Championship. It was especially funny when there were a few Ohio State fans in Indy- they got booed very hard.
Michigan football is 13-0, which is the most wins in program history since they used to only play 12 total games. The Wolverines are 25-2 over the past two seasons, which is a testament to Jim Harbaugh.
A lot of people (myself included) have been shocked by the 2023 recruiting class. As of now, it’s decent, with a few big prospects remaining on the board, but it’s nothing like we expected one year ago.
A year ago, Michigan football got a commitment from top 100 LB Raylen Wilson. The Florida Linebacker chose the Wolverines over Georgia, and it looked like Michigan was finally going to receive the elite commits that top programs get every year.
Analysts were projecting a top 5 class for the Wolverines, and it looked very possible. Then Harbaugh flirted with the NFL for a loooooong time, Josh Gattis (boo) left for Miami, and Mike Macdonald left for the Ravens’ defensive coordinator job. Along with this, NIL became far more widespread, yet the Wolverines chose to watch from the sidelines.
These issues cost the Wolverines any chance they had with top recruits — relationships were shattered by the coaching questions, and other recruits simply chose to play for whoever paid them the most. As unfortunate as that is, it’s how college football operates now. If the Wolverines want top recruits, they need to be better with NIL.
Before the season, I said that if the Wolverines wanted elite recruiting success in the future, they needed to beat the Buckeyes again and show that it wasn’t a fluke. They did just that. Along with this, Jim Harbaugh immediately shut down any NFL rumors. Head coaching jobs that Wolverine assistants such as Sherrone Moore, Jesse Minter, and George Helow were in consideration for, have since been filled for the most part. While the coaching carousel is just beginning, the Wolverines have dodged some early bullets.
Knowing this, we must still acknowledge NIL. Michigan football is not handing out million-dollar checks to recruits, but they are improving — however slowly it is. New university president Santa Ono is a huge supporter of the athletic department and has supported NIL advancements. I think that following the conclusion of the football season, we could see some major positive changes announced; I’ve read that the locker rooms could be due for renovation.
Michigan football can’t get any worse at NIL, and the mass exodus of players from NIL schools (particularly Texas A&M) entering the transfer portal may hint at NIL, or specifically giving players millions of dollars to sign with a school, not being a good strategy.
The point is, the Wolverines should only be able to gain ground on these other schools. On the field, only one school has had more success over the past two seasons, and the Wolverines may get a chance to play them in the national championship. Everything is set up for a good time on the recruiting trail.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the 2024 class.