The Wolverine

March 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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2016 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MICHAEL SPATH & TIM SULLIVAN M i c h i g a n p u t t h e f i n i s h i n g touches on a 28-man recruiting class by landing four commitments on National Signing Day Feb. 3, but the coaching staff could only cele- brate for a few hours, head coach Jim Harbaugh noted. The 2017 recruiting class was already beckoning for the Wolverines' attention. Based on committed scholarships for returning veterans, U-M has only 16 roster spots available in the 2017 class. However, when the Maize and Blue started this process one year ago, they also had just 16 available scholarships. Through attrition and over-sign- ing, Michigan would go 12 beyond the original forecasts, and could add a 29th signee if three-star linebacker Dytarious Johnson qualifies academ- ically. In other words, expect the Wolver- ines to sign upwards of 20 and closer to 25 prospects again on Feb. 1, 2017. Michigan's biggest need is along the offensive line, where U-M is set to return just 11 scholarship players in 2017, but there are also significant needs along the defensive line and in the secondary. Here is a position-by-position look at the Maize and Blue's needs and Turning The Page To 2017, Michigan Needs A Big Haul Of Offensive Linemen Antioch (Calif.) High five-star Najee Harris — the the No. 1 tailback and No. 5 overall player nationally — committed to Alabama in April, but is still willing to consider other options. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS

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