Jim Harbaugh's NFL connections add to his recruiting appeal. [Bryan Fuller]
Ed-Ace: Recruitnik extraordinaire, regular podcast guest, and noted darts enthusiast Steve Lorenz of Wolverine247, aka The Artist Formerly Known As Aquaman, is back with his weekly recruiting mailbag. If you aren't subscribed to 247 and want to read more from Steve and the gang, they're running a free trial through New Year's Day.
Caesar asks: What makes Michigan under Harbaugh good at recruiting and what does it do to distinguish itself from other programs?
There are a few noteworthy things Harbaugh has that other programs don't:
1. He has strapped on the helmet and played at a high level for the program he is coaching at. He's come as close to the top of the mountain as anyone for Michigan has, and with that comes a natural love and desire to bring the program to the top. That's not to say that other coaches aren't super effective in how they recruit and how they pitch their programs, but there's a natural aspect to how Harbaugh specifically can recruit kids because of a love for Michigan that most (if not all) coaches can't replicate for the programs they're currently at.
2. There isn't another coach in college football who can utilize success and connections in the NFL like Harbaugh can. Early on in Cesar Ruiz's recruitment, he mentioned that going to Michigan would give him a network to the NFL that he wouldn't find at any other program when you consider who Harbaugh knows in the league. I want to say he was on campus sometime around the time Michigan held their Pro Day, and mentioned tons of NFL teams being there despite the fact that they only had a handful of pro prospects last season. On top of that, Michigan utilizes NFL schemes both offensively and defensively so often that it helps acclimate their players to the pros while they're still in college. This stuff is truly valuable on the recruiting trail.
3. He wins. Obviously Michigan is far from the only program winning, and they haven't done it consistently for a long time, but he's already proven he can do some big things, and that stuff resonates with kids.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the mailbag.]
A few asked: Will MSU's struggles this season affect Michigan's recruiting?
It can, yeah. Michigan still has to win next weekend, however. If they slip up in East Lansing, you can expect the blowback from MSU's side on the recruiting trail to be both swift and heavy.
Provided they win, it will likely help them in the Ambry Thomas recruitment, which looks like this year's DETROIT CHAOS situation, following in the footsteps of Malik McDowell, Mike Weber and Lavert Hill. Michigan has already done really well in-state in 2017. Michigan State is not going to beat them for Donovan Peoples-Jones, and the staff could probably get Deron Irving-Bey out of Flint if they pushed hard enough as well.
The thing is, outside of a few in-state recruitments each cycle, Michigan and Michigan State haven't really gone head-to-head for a ton of guys over the last three or four years. Dantonio and his staff have built a lot of their program on mid-ranked Midwest kids who have continually panned out for them. Outside of McDowell, Donnie Corley and a couple of others, there really aren't a bunch of guys on their roster Michigan was hard after.
In short, it will definitely help them with those few in-state battles that they'll have with MSU, but I think the Spartans will continue to recruit the "under the radar" types that they've built their foundation on. A few losses will not change their approach.
nerv asks: Concern about Michigan's safety recruiting?
I don't really think so at this point.
Michigan has cooled on ATH Markquese Bell for a couple different reasons, and they continue to look like a virtual lock for four-star Jaylen Kelly-Powell, a player the staff is absolutely in love with and feel like is a perfect fit for Don Brown's defense.
It wouldn't surprise me to see them take a shot at three, which explains the recent offers to elite talents Bubba Bolden and Isaiah Pola-Mao.
How they approach the position leading up until NSD will depend on what they decide to do with what they have on the current roster. Josh Metellus and Khaleke Hudson appear to be the future at the position along with Tyree Kinnel. Do they shift Brandon Watson or Keith Washington over with the emergence of Lavert Hill and David Long at cornerback? That type of shuffling will determine how they approach it going forward, but a J'Marick Woods/Kelly-Powell/3rd guy haul would mean Michigan should be fine.
Lightning Round
Ahriman asks: What do Michigan's recent decommitments mean?
Michigan is doing their due diligence this cycle and not holding off on telling some players to maybe look elsewhere like they did last year. These decommitments mean the staff feels good about what they're building towards Signing Day.
y2mh asks about Josh Falo and Michigan's TE recruiting
Falo will officially visit this weekend. Most think he will stay out west, but that was the case with Devin Asiasi at this time last year as well. The other name to watch is Virginia Tech commitment Dalton Keene; a player we have rated in the Top150 at 247Sports. Jay Harbaugh watched him over the weekend, and they like his potential.
Outside of that, we may see some late evaluations turn into offers, much like eventual Iowa State commitment Chase Allen last year if you guys remember him.
poseidon792 asks: Is The Game weighing on recruits' minds?
To be honest, I'd say no, especially if both teams are undefeated heading into it. By then, Michigan will be able to pitch that they're building a championship level program in a really short amount of time, whereas Ohio State is in the middle of a golden era under Meyer.
I don't think the outcome of the game would ever be a deciding factor for a major recruit. I could be wrong, but it doesn't usually play out that way.
Jason Kapsner asks: Is recruiting at IMG Academy different?
I don't really think it is. In fact, in a lot of ways it's easier for coaches as they can stop there for a few hours to check in on a bunch of targets.
One funny thing is that they have so many elite recruits there right now that staffs have to split up who their targets are. For instance, Chris Partridge is the primary recruiter for LB Jordan Anthony and safety Grant Delpit, whereas Jedd Fisch is the primary recruiter for WRs Jhamon Ausbon and 2018 four-star Brian Hightower.
What you'll find at IMG is that most of the guys that end up playing there usually end up at the schools they would have ended up at if they had stayed home. Josh Kaindoh (Maryland), Grant Delpit (LSU), Dylan Moses (Alabama) ... I could keep going. It hasn't been a situation where the Florida schools have seen a huge benefit to having IMG in their backyard outside of a couple extra unofficial visits from some guys they probably wouldn't have gotten them from before.