The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2018 ONE SIMPLE WISH Dear The Wolverine, I am sick and tired of everybody talking about how many national titles Jim Harbaugh is going to win, when he can't even win his division! Just win our division this year. That's all I want. No Big Ten title. No national title. It's hard enough to win just our division! Also, I hate the way he recruits. He goes after way too many two- and three-star players. He should go after four- and five-stars early and hard, and if you can't get them then go after two- and three-stars at the end of the recruiting process. All I got to say is if he's going to sign these two- and three-stars, he better win with them! If he doesn't that hot seat will turn into an inferno! Sorry about the rant. Bradley M. Woelmer Via the Internet We contend that both national title and hot seat talk is a little premature at this point in Jim Harbaugh's tenure, though the Wolverines have been mentioned as a popular College Football Playoff sleeper on the national scene this summer. Given U-M's schedule, it's certainly possible for them to break through with some big wins, and if they win the divi- sion they almost undoubtedly will be in the CFP conversation. We received this letter May 16 — the day after our June/July issue was sent to the printer, and we don't have a letters section in the football preview magazine — but it's hard to criticize what has hap- pened on the recruiting trail since then. From June 19 to July 3, U-M landed 12 commits, including four-stars Mazi Smith, a defensive tackle, and Zach Char- bonnet, a running back, plus four-star junior Denver Warren. Several other high three-stars were a part of that run, including tight end Erick All, defensive backs DJ Turner II and Quinten Johnson, and defensive end David Ojabo. That doesn't even include two-time Tennes- see Player of the Year Eric Gray, another three-star in the Rivals ratings. Sometimes you have to look further than just the stars — and we try to do just that with our breakdowns on each of the recent pledges on pages 60-72. It's also worth noting every school takes two- and three-star commits … even perennial recruiting champion Ala- bama signed a pair of two-stars in its last two full classes — and neither was a kicker. If you exclude punter Brad Rob- bins in 2017 because specialists usually receive only two stars from Rivals, U-M signed the same number during that time period. Overall, the class of 2019 currently checks in at No. 4 nationally as of July 15. That could go up with some big wins this fall, or fall with some disappointing losses, but it's hard to complain about how things stand now after an 8-5 campaign. August 2018 • Vol. 29, No. 12 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton The Wolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Writer Brandon Brown Staff Writers Austin Fox Andrew Vailliencourt Managing Editor Ryan Tice Contributing Editor Steve Downey Editorial Intern Will Eudy Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel, Per Kjeldsen, Samuel Mousigian Cover Photo Samuel Mousigian Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor Director Of Advertising Michelle Delee-Hamilton Business Intern Mileah Shriner Customer Service Debbie Earnhardt Gail Evans The Wolverine is published monthly. A one-year (12 issues) subscription is $52.99. The Wolverine is printed at The Papers in Milford, Ind. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. Periodical postage paid at Durham, NC 27702 and additional offices. For advertising or subscription information, call 1-800-421-7751 or write The Wolverine, P.O. Box 1304, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. The Wolverine is a publication of Coman Publishing Company, 905 W. Main St, Suite 24F, Durham, NC 27701. E-Mail Address: thewolverine@comanpub.com Subscription questions: gevans@comanpub.com Website: www.thewolverine.com Be Heard! Send your letters to: Wolverine Letters • P.O. Box 1304 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Or e-mail: ryantice@comanpub.com Letters may be edited for clarity or length. FROM OUR READERS Jim Harbaugh's 2019 class is off to a great start, checking in at No. 4 nationally in the Rivals. com team rankings as of July 15. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN