The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 coming into Michigan, which has to be a bit concerning for the future. The 2025 recruiting class will be cru- cial to U-M's long-term success. Simply put, Moore has to hit a home run in his first cycle in charge. Right now, Michigan holds three c o m m i t m e n ts i n 2025, and the class ranks No. 14 over- all. The Wolverines lost their only Top 100 commit, Miami (Fla.) Chaminade- Madonna corner- back Chris Ewald, in mid-January, and they have not received a commitment since winning the national champion- ship on Jan. 8. With every day that passes, the mo- mentum from winning the title fades. In this 2024 cycle, Michigan landed just one Industry Top-100 recruit — Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller running back Jordan Marshall, who was actually ranked outside of the Top 100 by three of the four major services. And its 2023 class didn't have any signees in the Top 100. Michigan loves to tout its develop- ment, and there is no denying it. How- ever, Harbaugh is gone to the NFL. So is strength coach Ben Herbert, who was considered a development magician, and the entire defensive staff. On top of that, Michigan's national title team featured several Top-100 recruits, including the likes of J.J. McCarthy, Junior Colson and Will Johnson, and the former two are also off to the NFL this year. The Wolverines did a fantastic job of developing and building a culture. No- body is debating that. But they also had the assistance of elite recruits at key po- sitions. McCarthy was a quarterback. Johnson is a cornerback. Those are now considered premium NIL positions on the recruiting trail. Hate it or love it, NIL rules college football recruiting. As Michigan enters a new era, so does the entire landscape of this sport. NIL remains a bit of a gray area but fellow blue bloods like Ohio State and Texas have not only adapted — they are taking full advantage of their resources and the "marketplace." Michigan, which had one of the top transfer portal classes a year ago, wasn't as active there this offseason. Top portal players are now commanding bidding wars. And the same could be said about Top 100 high school recruits at those premium positions. College football is quickly evolving. Adapt or die. It's truly survival of the fittest. Michigan doesn't have to go overboard to be successful. Programs like Miami and Texas A&M have crashed and burned despite firing the money cannons. How- ever, Ohio State and Texas are poised for big seasons in 2024. Michigan has to find the right balance. Harbaugh proposed a base salary model years ago. That, along with pay-for- play — let's just call it what it is — for the top five high school targets on the U-M board seems to be a recipe for success. That strategy would keep Michigan in a prime spot for roster retention and success in the transfer portal. That base salary model has never come into fruition, and Michigan still lacks a true plan for NIL on the recruiting trail. I t a p p ea rs t h e Wolverines are tak- ing steps in the right direction. Recent deals with Altius Sports Partners and Learfield show that Michigan is working on a solution. Michigan cannot continue to move at a snail's pace. In or- der for Moore to have success, he needs to have full support on NIL from the ad- ministration. Otherwise, he's just being set up for failure. "We really support NIL and what it means for our players earning from their name, image, and likeness and earning what they deserve," Moore said. "I'm definitely going to fight for the players as much as we can and do what we can do. I am going to help raise money for our players. "It's just part of college football. It's evolving. You have to evolve with it and continue to stay ahead of the chains. And that's what we're going to try to do." Moore has retained staff members such as Ron Bellamy, Grant Newsome and Kirk Campbell. All are relatively young and will be aggressive on the re- cruiting trail. Moore has also added new assistants such as Greg Scruggs (defen- sive line) and Brian Jean-Mary (lineback- ers). Both are known for their recruiting chops, especially Jean-Mary, who is a veteran with plenty of success under his belt. Other hires like JB Brown (special teams), LaMar Morgan (defensive backs) and Steve Casula (tight ends) don't have a ton of true recruiting experience, but you can bet that Moore will demand the very best of them on the trail. The bottom line is Moore has proven himself on the field. He's also promised to change the recruiting approach and attack NIL with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. The administration must change with him. No more "soon." The time is now. ❏ ❱ Moore "I'm full of enthusiasm just like Coach [Jim Harbaugh], but I'm just a little different than him. I'm going to put my touch on the program. We're going to have fun just like we did before, but we're going to be super aggressive — super aggressive in recruiting, super aggressive in everything we do." Michigan's 2024 recruiting class was ranked No. 15 nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. Of the 26 members in the class, 14 were rated as four-star prospects, a 54 percent "blue chip ratio." IMAGE COURTESY MICHIGAN FOOTBALL