Latest on Michigan football effort to flip elite WR Gatlin Bair

Michigan football has been pushing to flip top-100 wideout Gatlin Bair in the 2024 class and here’s where things stand after his visit for the Ohio State game. 

Winning always helps when it comes to recruiting. There are a bunch of other factors, especially now with NIL at the forefront of recruiting, but on-field performance still matters and in that regard, Michigan football has few equals in that regard.

At least over the past few seasons, Georgia is the only program that has won more than Michigan football. The Wolverines are seeking a third consecutive Big Ten championship, as well as a third straight berth in the College Football Playoff.

Over the past three seasons, the Wolverines have a combined record of 37-3. That certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to recruiting. The atmosphere for ‘The Game’ this past weekend also didn’t hurt.

Not only did The Big House wow recruits, but Michigan football was impressive on the field as well, winning a second straight top-3 matchup of 11-0 teams against Ohio State.

Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood was among the recruits that were in attendance. The Wolverines are still pushing for Underwood even though they have another quarterback committed in Carter Smith in the 2025 class.

However, Underwood wasn’t the only big-name recruit on campus. There were a few more and one of them was Gatlin Bair, a top-50 wideout (No. 37 overall) in the 2024 class currently committed to Boise State.

The latest on Gatlin Bair

Bair runs the 100-meter dash in 10.15 seconds — faster than Tyreek Hill — and is an absolute freak at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds.

Yet, the top-ranked player in Idaho decided to commit to Boise State. Yet, the Broncos have a new head coach, which has opened the door for Michigan football once again.

Here’s the latest from EJ Holland of The Wolverine on the pursuit of Bair: 

"“I thought the visit went really well He arrived early on Saturday and didn’t leave until late on Sunday. I think his commitment to Boise State is on thin ice right now with the Broncos having a coaching change. I think this recruitment is ultimately going to come down to Michigan and Oregon. I would give Michigan the slight edge right now, but I do know that he is a little concerned about the situation going on in Ann Arbor. He might not make a decision until the February signing period, so still a few months away.”"

Oregon is also in the mix and some clarity on the head-coaching situation for Michigan moving forward would help a lot. Either way, Bair is a 2024 recruit but is going on a Mormon Mission after high school. So he won’t be joining any program until 2026.

Still, landing a guy as talented as Bair would be worth the wait, and his recruitment will be one to follow closely in the coming weeks and months.