5-star TE Chris Clark says Jim Harbaugh to Michigan would reignite his interest in Wolverines
ANN ARBOR -- Hours after Michigan fired Brady Hoke on Dec. 2, the program lost its top-rated 2015 commitment when five-star tight end Chris Clark re-opened up his recruitment.
But now, with multiple reports stating that Jim Harbaugh will become Michigan's next head coach, Clark's interest in the Wolverines is about to be back on the rise.
Nothing's been made official by Harbaugh or Michigan -- as the school declined to comment on the situation Sunday. But if Harbaugh to Michigan becomes a reality, the Wolverines' recruiting fortunes could turn immediately.
"I've got to wait and see if it's 100 percent a done deal, but I'd really like to have the opportunity to talk with him and just take it from there," Clark told MLive on Sunday. "But, yeah, Michigan would be a school that I'd have a lot of interest in again.
"Hopefully he'll be the head coach."
The 6-foot-6, 247-pound Clark is the top-rated tight end in the 2015 class, per Scout.com. He originally committed to Hoke and his staff in June before the 2014 season began. But as the Wolverines continued to struggle on the field, Clark started looking elsewhere before officially decommitting on Dec. 2.
At this point, he says the three schools he's interested in are UCLA, Michigan State and Michigan.
But Harbaugh could be a game changer for him.
"He'd 100 percent (excite me)," Clark said. "I still love Michigan, I've always liked the school.
"I'm really interested to see how this plays out."
Clark's not the only recruit who would be interested in Michigan if Harbaugh indeed becomes official.
Four-star running back Elijah Holyfield -- the son of boxer Evander Holyfield -- tweeted Sunday that he'd like to visit Michigan before signing day if Harbaugh is announced as the program's coach. Also, five-star cornerback Iman Marshall told ESPN's Tom VanHaaren that he'd like to visit Ann Arbor if Harbaugh takes over the program.
One player who won't be interested in Michigan, though, is five-star quarterback Josh Rosen.
The UCLA pledge -- who did visit Michigan over the summer -- cleared up any rumors linking him to the Wolverines on Sunday morning,
insisting that he still plans to enroll at UCLA on Jan. 5.
A number of the country's top players are currently in St. Petersburg, Florida for the Under Armour All-America game, which takes place Jan. 2.
At the moment, Michigan currently holds verbal commitments from six players: Four-star receiver Brian Cole, four-star quarterback Alex Malzone, four-star offensive lineman Grant Newsome, four-star safety Tyree Kinnel, three-star offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. and kicker Andrew David.
All schools are currently in recruiting's winter dead period. That dead period ends on Jan. 15, and players can begin taking visits to schools leading up to National Signing Day on Feb. 4.