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The Michigan Wolverines' early signing day has come and gone and for the most part, was very uneventful except for bringing in Maryland LB Jaishawn Barham from the portal and getting a commitment from four-star Lugard Edokpayi. Michigan class gets a solid B after coming in ranked in the top 20. After winning the Big 10, in the last 3 years, Michigan's class is very good but, leaves a little desire for fans, after coming in ranked 4th in the Big 10 and 15th in the country according to 247Sports.
The Michigan Wolverines had 27 commits sign, with 0 5-star, 18 4-star and 9 3-star.
OFFENSE
QB Jadyn Davis 4-star
6-0.5 202lbs, School: Providence Day, Charlotte, NC
RB Jordan Marshall 4-star
5-10.5 183lbs, School: Archbishop Moeller, Cincinnati, OH
RB Micah Kaapana 3-star
5-11 196lbs, School: Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, NV
WR Channing Goodwin 4-Star
6-1 180lbs, School: Providence Day, Charlotte, NC
WR I’Marion Stewart 4-Star
5-10 180lbs, School: Kenwood Academy, Chicago, IL
TE Brady Preiskorn 4-Star
6-6 225lbs, School: Adams, Rochester, MI
TE Hogan Hansen 4-star
6-6 220lbs, School: Bellevue High, Bellevue, WA
OL Andrew Sprague 4-Star
6-8 295lbs, School: Rockhurst High, Kansas City, MO
OL Luke Hamilton 4-star
6-5 290lbs, School: Avon, Avon, OH
OL Blake Frazier 4-Star
6-5 260lbs, School: Vandegrift, Austin TX
OL Jake Guarnera 3-Star
6-4 290, School: Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
OL Ben Roebuck 3-star
6-7 320lbs, School: St. Edward, Lakewood, OH
DEFENSE
DL Ted Hammond 4-star
6-5 258lbs, School: St. Xavier, Cincinnati, OH
DL Owen Wafle 4-star
6-1 290lbs, School: Hun School, Princeton, NJ
DL Manuel Beigel 3-Star
6-4 282lbs, School: Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT
DL Deyvid Palepale 3-Star
6-3 305lbs, School: Manheim Township, Lancaster, PA
EDGE Lugard Edokpayi 4-star
6-6 230lbs, School: Bishop McNamara, District Heights, MD
EDGE Devon Baxter 4-star
6-6 225lbs, School: Gwynn Park, Brandywine, MD
EDGE Dominic Nichols 3-star
6-5 252lbs, School: Oakdale, Ijamsville, MD
EDGE/LB Mason Curtis 4-star
6-4 200lbs, School: Ensworth, Nashville, TN
LB Cole Sullivan 3-STar
6-3 200lbs, School: Central Catholic, Pittsburgh, PA
LB Jeremiah Beasley 4-Star
6-1 210lbs, School: Belleville, Belleville, MI
LB Zach Ludwig 3-STar
6-3 202lbs, School: South Park, South Park, PA
DB Jacob Oden 4-star
6-1 188lbs, School: Harper Woods, Harper Woods, MI
DB Jo’Ziah Edmond 4-Star
6-1 180lbs, School: Northwood, Nappanee, IN
DB/ATH Jaden Smith 3-Star
6-3 201lbs, School: West Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
DB Jeremiah Lowe 3-Star
5-11 170lbs, School: Frederick Douglass, Lexington, KY
Positives
Michigan pulling in a top 20 class should keep them in contention to make the college football playoff year in and year out. The real question becomes whether Michigan keeps developing players to keep up with the teams that keep stacking top 10 classes and in the case of rival Ohio State's top 5 class.
Michigan's coaching staff needs to be given credit for still bringing in a top-20 class with everything going on around the program. Michigan football has had negativity surrounding it for months with 2 NCAA investigations going on and now a notice of allegations for recruiting violations has been issued on signing day for 1 of those investigations.
Michigan, just like the past few years, has been engulfed in head coaching rumors from a Harbaugh contract extension, to Jim being linked to every NFL head coaching opening. The fact that Harbaugh and staff still brought in a top 20 class is remarkable.
Negatives
Ohio State, Michigan's biggest rival had the number 1 class in the Big 10, showing at least in recruiting they're still the program to beat. One of the new teams coming to the Big 10 ranks number two, that being the University of Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning is showing he can compete with anyone for some of the best high school prospects in the country. Number 3 was Penn State, James Franklin year in and year out shows he is a great recruiter unfortunately for Penn State, having the talent hasn’t translated into wins in Franklin's biggest games.
The new Big 10 is an arms race, with the weapons being 5-star players. Besides an off-year, most Big 10 teams will now be playing loaded schedules against the top teams, filled with ranked talent. Harbaugh and staff will need to find a way to close on more of their top targets if they hope to challenge for a national championship year in and out.
5-star commits where are you? Michigan finished early signing day without one 5-star in the 2024 class. Harbaugh is going to need to find a way to close on some in the future if he hopes to continue this winning run the Wolverines are on. The Buckeyes have 5 5-star recruits in their 2024 class, with Nebraska, being the only other Big 10 program with a 5-star coming in. 5-star talent is like playing multiple hands at a blackjack table, you won’t win every hand but having a better chance of at least winning one. Not every 5-star will hit but you have a better chance of hitting on one the more you have. A 5-star player gives a school that much of a better chance of having a player who will be a game changer.
2024 Underrated Guy
Offensive lineman Ben Roebuck is a 3-star commit from the state of Ohio. At 6-7 320lbs, Roebuck already has the size to play at the college level, and once he starts to work with strength coach Ben Herbert the sky will be the limit for what he could do. Michigan doesn’t need Roebuck to come in and play on the line right away, if he takes the time to develop and learn there would be no reason why he couldn’t be an all-American at Michigan.
Michigan's winning over the past few years hasn’t translated into higher recruiting classes that fans were expecting. The biggest reason for this could be the uncertainty that has been surrounding the head coaching position. It’s now time for Michigan to either lock up Harbaugh or move on to Sherrone Moore who I believe should be the next head coach.
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