On Tuesday, in-state elite wide receiver Dakota Guerrant announced his commitment to Oregon in what was a painful announcement for Michigan football. The Wolverines were scheduled to get Guerrant on campus this coming weekend for Victors Weekend, and it's now unclear whether or not that visit will happen. What is clear, however, is that this recruitment is not over.
First off, lets be frank. Kyle Whittingham and Michigan had a huge disadvantage in this recruitment. For one, Whittingham was hired as Michigan's head coach in late December. His staff wasn't even full until January. That means that for some recruits, primarily the best of the best, Michigan was years behind in terms of building relationships. That's very tough to overcome even if a prospect is in your backyard.
Second, it was always going to be tough for Michigan to land an elite wide receiver after what the last two seasons have looked like through the air. While Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck can point to Utah's offense as evidence that wide receivers are going to be more involved in Michigan's offense, recent history is tough to overlook, especially when Oregon has been extremely dynamic on offense.
Why Michigan football fans should still have hope
With that being said, fans shouldn't lose hope when it comes to Michigan's chances with Dakota Guerrant. His commitment to Oregon was not a surprise. It was well known that Guerrant was targeting a summer commitment, and it was also well known that he wanted to see Michigan's offense in action to see for himself if it was going to be more receiver-friendly.
Michigan is going to have a chance in this recruitment. If Jason Beck and the Michigan offense show that they are going to throw the ball and get their playmakers involved, Guerrant's interest in Michigan may reappear. Kyle Whittingham knows that he has an elite talent in his backyard, and you can bet he's going to do whatever he can to win over Guerrant.
Everyone knows what Dan Lanning does on offense at Oregon. Kyle Whittingham needs to make sure that recruits like Dakota Guerrant know - and like - what Michigan does on offense. This is a recruitment that won't be over until signing day. While it will likely take a backseat in terms of news headlines until the season starts, the coaches are going to stay in contact and keep building this relationship.
Don't count out the Wolverines.
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