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This is a terrific post at mgo on recruiting that requires you to take a full 90 minutes to both read the OP and then read all the comments and questions on the OP contained there in. It is a great counter-balance to the Wiltfong post that questioned M's recruiting pointing to it's apparent disorganization. The OP's view on that trope is that it is based on Wiltfon'g connection with Jams Fanklin who, he says, is the biggest negative recuriter in the BT if not nationally. Naturally, he is going to neg M's recruiting.
That is not to say, however, that the OP does not see issues with M's recruiting, the biggest being turn over on the recruiting staff that occurred in year 2 and 3 of JH's tenure and the failure to have a plan in place to quickly replace recruiters who moved on and up in their careers. To that point, Harbaugh brought in a lot of young NFL level evaluaters as recruiters during his first year. These guys all had NFL careers on their minds and left M when an NFL opportunity presented itself. This lead to the appearance that recruits fell through the cracks or charges that M "dropped the ball." That was true and affected the 2016 and 17 classes. Per the OP, Harbaugh, after a (too long) a period of stubborn frustration, corrected it.
On Bag men: way over emphasized by folks thinking it goes on at 90% of schools and it is the difference between top programs and also rans. It's not and it makes no difference in the big scheme of things. It does happen though. Top recruits are getting paid at some point during the recruiting process, while they are playing or during the transition to the NFL. All the P5 programs are affected by it either knowingly or without their direct knowledge that it's happening, including M. The OP estimates that it is a deciding factor for a recruit in 15-30% of all programs nationally but recruits are much more likely to sign with a program where they have a strong relationship with the guy that is recruiting them and the program fits their skill set and academic objectives.
There is just a ton of information in this post about why the program is losing to osu, why M isn't getting 315 pound space occupiers that get push on the DL, does JH's quirky character contribute to recruiting (yes, M is negative recruited on that issue by everyone),is Michigan's weather a factor (yes), what is JH's national recruiting like and what areas does he prefer to target (fast growth areas and this explains a pivot out of the mid-west to the SE and South including Texas), much much more.
The post and comments/questions are super interesting, to me anyway, and a great deal of what he has to say certainly resonates as being spot on with respect to where the program is and why it is where it is. The OP thinks the program is a QB away from being elite and beating osu. Is their a QB in waiting that is that guy. No if fans are counting on McCaffrey or Milton. He thinks Cade McNamarra may be the guy but it's too early for him to hang his hat on. Wants to see more film. The team is really talented and should not be as bad on the road that it is. He lays that on JH not having his teams properly motivated and prepared to win on the road. He also comments on the differences in cultures at schools like Alabama and Clemson compared to M. He opines that JH has yet to develop an identity of what M is and sell it too recruits...... one issue in that area is that M loses big games, has got to win those to turn things around on the recruiting front.
Bottom line, it's a great read if you're interested in getting past or confirming all the tropes out there on M football and football recruiting.
That is not to say, however, that the OP does not see issues with M's recruiting, the biggest being turn over on the recruiting staff that occurred in year 2 and 3 of JH's tenure and the failure to have a plan in place to quickly replace recruiters who moved on and up in their careers. To that point, Harbaugh brought in a lot of young NFL level evaluaters as recruiters during his first year. These guys all had NFL careers on their minds and left M when an NFL opportunity presented itself. This lead to the appearance that recruits fell through the cracks or charges that M "dropped the ball." That was true and affected the 2016 and 17 classes. Per the OP, Harbaugh, after a (too long) a period of stubborn frustration, corrected it.
On Bag men: way over emphasized by folks thinking it goes on at 90% of schools and it is the difference between top programs and also rans. It's not and it makes no difference in the big scheme of things. It does happen though. Top recruits are getting paid at some point during the recruiting process, while they are playing or during the transition to the NFL. All the P5 programs are affected by it either knowingly or without their direct knowledge that it's happening, including M. The OP estimates that it is a deciding factor for a recruit in 15-30% of all programs nationally but recruits are much more likely to sign with a program where they have a strong relationship with the guy that is recruiting them and the program fits their skill set and academic objectives.
There is just a ton of information in this post about why the program is losing to osu, why M isn't getting 315 pound space occupiers that get push on the DL, does JH's quirky character contribute to recruiting (yes, M is negative recruited on that issue by everyone),is Michigan's weather a factor (yes), what is JH's national recruiting like and what areas does he prefer to target (fast growth areas and this explains a pivot out of the mid-west to the SE and South including Texas), much much more.
The post and comments/questions are super interesting, to me anyway, and a great deal of what he has to say certainly resonates as being spot on with respect to where the program is and why it is where it is. The OP thinks the program is a QB away from being elite and beating osu. Is their a QB in waiting that is that guy. No if fans are counting on McCaffrey or Milton. He thinks Cade McNamarra may be the guy but it's too early for him to hang his hat on. Wants to see more film. The team is really talented and should not be as bad on the road that it is. He lays that on JH not having his teams properly motivated and prepared to win on the road. He also comments on the differences in cultures at schools like Alabama and Clemson compared to M. He opines that JH has yet to develop an identity of what M is and sell it too recruits...... one issue in that area is that M loses big games, has got to win those to turn things around on the recruiting front.
Bottom line, it's a great read if you're interested in getting past or confirming all the tropes out there on M football and football recruiting.
. Amazing we beat them out.
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