Michigan picked up a commitment from three-star tight end Zack Marshall over the weekend, but the Wolverines are about to hit a bit of a recruiting lull when it comes to the 2023 class. The Wolverines don't appear on the verge of landing any key targets in the near future — unless someone surprises — and don't have an outright lead for any of the candidates mentioned in the Who's Next? story. Michigan has around 10 spots open. Whether Michigan takes a full class remains to be seen, but the Wolverines absolutely have to impress on the field the season and need to wow recruits on fall official visits. This class still has a chance to finish Top 15 despite a chaotic offseason that resulted in a very rough spot. But U-M needs everything to fall into place — just like last cycle.
2. Oregon
Michigan has found itself in a handful of recruiting battles with Oregon this cycle and continues to fall short to the NIL Ducks, losing Dante Moore, Mykeil Gardner and Kenyon Sadiq. Oregon is still in play for top remaining targets like Caleb Lomu and Javien Toviano. As things stand right now, I don't have a lot of confidence in Michigan winning head-to-head battles on the trail with Oregon. Yes, Michigan is a superior program on and off the field, and the Ducks are scrambling in the realignment race, but Oregon is taking full advantage of NIL. The Ducks also have a staff full of high-end recruiters, including Adrian Klemm and Kenny Dilllingham. With NIL in play, their jobs are even easier. Michigan is not playing the same game as Oregon — that's abundantly clear.
3. Will Michigan adapt?
Michigan is not going to be Oregon. Fans should not have that expectation. However, I do expect Michigan to set up something similar to SMU. While SMU is a G5 school, the Powerful Ponies actually have pretty good model going. The Boulevard Collective is set to pay players on both the football and basketball teams $36,000 per year. That's pretty much the goal for Michigan (the number should be higher). Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been adamant about taking care of guys on the roster first. I'm told the Wolverines want to have a base pay just like SMU and that it's a priority to keep team chemistry. Pay for play is not an option for Michigan, but the Wolverines can sell a 'base salary' and point to guys like JJ McCarthy and Erick All as examples of players that have been extremely successful with NIL on their own.
4. Names to know
Michigan is resetting the board at a few different positions, and there are several names the Wolverines plan to evaluate closely this fall. After missing out on Sadiq, Michigan needs to find another wide out this cycle. Michigan could circle back to three-star prospect Jaren Hamilton and is also keeping an eye on Iowa State pledge Beni Ngoyi. The Wolverines are continuing to monitor more offensive linemen, including Virginia Tech commit Hannes Hammer and Louisville commit Madden Sanker. Michigan may also expand the defensive line board if it misses on Xzavier McLeod. I wouldn't be surprised if U-M circles back to Nebraska commit Riley Van Poppel. The same could be said about Nebraska linebacker pledge Hayden Moore. Kentucky commit Grant Godfrey is another linebacker to know.
5. East Coast
I am moved into my new apartment here in Norfolk/Virginia Beach. I'll be making some local stops soon as Michigan staffer Albert Karschnia has sent out a handful of early offers in the 757 and is trying to help the Wolverines establish a presence here. I'm hopeful area recruiter Mike Hart can develop some relationships here as well. I will be staying close to home for the first few weeks of the season as I get adjusted here and plan to see guys like Jadyn Davis, Nyckoles Harbor, Evan Link and Semaj Bridgeman. While it sucks I'm not in Chicago anymore, there are plenty of guys to see within driving distance. I will be back in the Midwest frequently and should be in The Big House for the U-M's game against UConn. And yes, we should be adding another full-time employee soon to help out with recruiting.
It’s the Loic way
