Michigan Football: Why You Shouldn’t Overreact to Bryce West News

Bryce West committed to Ohio State, to the despise of all Michigan fans

It hurt to see Bryce West make his commitment announcement. It was another blow to Michigan football’s recruiting momentum, and it allowed the Buckeyes to overtake the Wolverines in the recruiting rankings.

The way this entire situation unfolded was painful for Michigan football. However, this isn’t the end of this recruitment, nor is it a huge blow to Michigan’s recruiting hopes. Here’s why you shouldn’t overreact to Bryce West’s commitment.

It was always going to be Ohio State… at first

Bryce West attends Glenville High School in the heart of Cleveland. The head coach of the football team is none other than Ted Ginn Sr, a huge proponent for Ohio State. Glenville has historically been extremely Ohio State-friendly, and it’s obviously a huge boost for the Buckeyes.

There was never a chance that Michigan football would win this recruitment in the summer. It just wasn’t going to happen. However, the Wolverines will have a chance to do it during the season.

The offseason is all talk. We’ve seen Ohio State recruits and Michigan recruits jawing back and forth all offseason, with each saying their school is better. Well, the game is played on the field, and it’s played on November 25th.

I expect that Michigan is going to try to get every Ohio recruit it can on campus for that game. And if the Wolverines are able to make it three in a row… anything can happen.

Aaron Scott?

As of the writing of this article, Aaron Scott remains uncommitted. That’s a huge win for Michigan football, and that cannot be understated.

Remember, Ohio State has been pushing for him and West to be a duo, so there’s no doubt in my mind they were pushing for him to commit along with West.

With Scott not committing, that makes me think that Michigan football could be in an excellent position to win his commitment. Current recruits have been very active toward Scott on social media, and it feels like Michigan still has momentum in his recruitment.

If Steve Clinkscale can get Aaron Scott on board, it’ll send shockwaves through the entire state of Ohio. That’s something that could get Bryce West to think a bit more about his decision, and I’d expect him to at least visit Michigan once more.

Many are expecting Scott to announce a commitment in the coming weeks. This is one that truly could go either way. Keep a close eye on this.

Ryan Day’s Potential Departure

Ohio State fans were calling for Ryan Day’s head after losing to the Wolverines in Columbus. In back-to-back years, Ohio State has had the more talented team on paper, yet has lost in embarrassing fashion to the Wolverines. This year, again, Ohio State will have the better team on paper. They have four and five stars at every position.

After beating Michigan football every time under Urban Meyer, Day has been extremely disappointing, and some are beginning to believe that his seat is getting warm. If Day loses again in Ann Arbor, there’s a decent chance he leaves for an NFL job. That would bring chaos to Ohio State’s recruiting class.

In that scenario, I would expect a handful of current recruits to flip to Michigan. That is why I expect the Wolverines to go all in on trying to bring Ohio kids to The Game. If Day loses that one, anything can happen.

Wolverines are still in pursuit of many talented DBs

The last and final reason is that there are other DBs. Michigan is squarely in the mix for talents such as Terhyon Nichols, Jameer Grimsley, Zaquan Patterson, and many more.

Along with that, the 2025 class has the potential to be elite at defensive back, with Chris Ewald Jr already committed and the Wolverines in the lead for a few top-50 prospects.

If Bryce West stays strong on his commitment to Ohio State, everything will still be great for Michigan. This was and still is an extremely tough recruitment to win. Whatever happens, Michigan is going to continue to develop elite defensive backs and will be just fine.

Go Blue!