The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 HAIL TO A STRONG CLASS Dear The Wolverine: Kudos to Jim Harbaugh and staff for putting together another elite recruiting class. The 2016 and 2017 hauls bring 56 talented players into the fold and with another (albeit smaller) elite class in 2018, the roster turnover will be complete. The staff did a remarkable job with the talent it inherited, and the future looks very bright as they develop their own handpicked prospects. The staff has done a fine job up- grading the talent and depth at nearly every position. There is only one spot that is a concern and could be a roadblock in winning the elu- sive Big Ten title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. That is the offensive line. That is an area that has been only average in the first two seasons with this staff and the one area where they have not gotten the numbers they needed. In the 2016 class, they wanted to sign five offensive linemen. They ended up with only three as they missed on Michael Jordan and Dev- ery Hamilton bolted at the last hour to sign with Stanford. In the 2017 class, they wanted to sign at least seven and ended up with five, and missed their top offensive tackle tar- get Isaiah Wilson. With Grant New- some not a sure thing to be ready for this season, that puts them at about 13 (barring any defections) schol- arship lineman. Most squads carry about 17 scholarship linemen. I am not disputing the talent that the staff has inked on the offensive line, but as someone who has fol- lowed recruiting long before it be- came cool, only about half of highly rated offensive linemen become starters or even contributors. This puts Michigan in a spot where they need to have nearly all of these pros- pects pan out as well as accelerating their development. Michigan will need at least one true frosh to start in 2017 and probably two others serve in backup roles. I know that the 2018 class will be smaller, but I am sure the staff plans on signing at least five offensive line- men so they can have the numbers and competition that they have in place at all the other position groups. In any event, it will be fun to watch and this is perhaps the most exciting time to be a Wolverine fan that I can remember. Keep up the great work at The Wol- verine — you bring a lot of enjoyment to the many fans across the world. Kevin G. Smith Orange, Calif. Thanks, Kevin. The Wolverines aren't going away, and neither are we. Regard- ing the numbers situation, Jim Har- baugh did mention on National Signing Day that a graduate transfer is not out of the question for the Wolverines. Whether or not it will involve an offensive line- man remains to be seen, but Harbaugh stressed bolstering both sides of the line of scrimmage. "There may be a transfer," Harbaugh noted. "We don't know. We would cer- tainly consider that." March 2017 • Vol. 28, No. 8 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton The Wolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Writer Brandon Brown Contributing Writers Austin Fox Orion Sang Managing Editor Ryan Tice Contributing Editor Steve Downey Editorial Intern Leland Mitchinson Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel Per Kjeldsen Cover Photo Brandon Brown Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Circulation Manager Gail Evans Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor Director Of Advertising Michelle Delee-Hamilton Customer Service Lauren Saunders 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 Web Site: www.thewolverine.com Be Heard! Send your letters to: Wolverine Letters P.O. Box 1304 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Or e-mail: jborton@thewolverine.com Letters may be edited for clarity or length. FROM OUR READERS The Wolverines added five offensive line- men in their 2017 class — including the country's top center in Cesar Ruiz (above) — but they still need to add more depth in future recruiting cycles. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN