What Jim Harbaugh’s return means for Michigan Football Recruiting

The 2024 class

Jim Harbaugh’s return could not have come at a better time. Literally. Michigan football will hit the recruiting trail tomorrow, and having clarity on Harbaugh’s situation will allow the staff to focus on the success of the program, rather than whether or not Harbaugh will be staying.

Elite defensive lineman Justin Scott is announcing his commitment on January 31st. There are no crystal balls in for him, but the general consensus seems to be that Notre Dame is the leader. Getting Harbaugh back could be huge for his recruitment. I’m not sure if two weeks is enough time to sway him, but perhaps the Wolverines could get him to move back his commitment date.

Although not a great chance, because Harbaugh announced his return the Wolverines do have a chance with Scott. A lot can happen in a short period of time, so we’ll see how this one goes.

Michigan hosted three elite recruits this past weekend. Five-star cornerback Bryce West, four-star running back Jordan Marshall, and four-star athlete Jacob Oden were all on campus. You can bet this news is going to sit very positively with them.

Marshall and West are both from Ohio and will be very tough to win away from the Buckeyes, but Michigan has put themselves in a great position for both of them.

Jadyn Davis, who had said he was going to monitor Michigan’s offseason changes, may pull the trigger soon. Nobody likes coaching turmoil, and it appears that the Wolverine staff will be just about fully intact.

I’d be weary about committing to a school if their head coach was thinking about returning to the NFL too, and thankfully that is behind the Wolverines now. I’m sure schools have been in Davis’ ear, telling him that Harbaugh is leaving. That can’t be said now.

I think it’s very possible, and actually likely, that Davis commits within the next 30 days. Recruiting is heating up a ton right now. Michigan football is having its “Junior Day” recruiting event next weekend, and lots of elite recruits are going to be there.

If Jadyn Davis is not committed within the next 30 days, I would begin to worry. I’m confident, however, that he will be a Michigan Wolverine sooner rather than later.

There is no final list yet for Michigan’s Junior Day, but one name I’d put on commit watch is four-star edge, Brian Robinson.

Michigan football is the clear leader in his recruitment, and the Harbaugh news could be enough to push him over the edge. And we know how important momentum is in recruiting… we could see a slew of recruits commit in the near future.

The Michigan football program has tons of momentum right now. Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, Blake Corum, Kris Jenkins, Cornelius Johnson, and Mike Barrett have all recently decided to return to Michigan. Jim Harbaugh announced that he is back. Recruiting is starting to heat up.

The next 30 days could be very eventful. Stay tuned for more news.

Go Blue!