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Knee-jerk reaction: Michigan has the recruiting juice now

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson12/08/21JeremyO_Johnson
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Michigan football defensive end Aidan Hutchinson celebrates a Big Ten championship. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The recruiting trail for Michigan lately follows that old adage from basketball. ‘It’s a game of runs.’ Michigan’s coaching staff is finding that out once again. Outside of Texas A&M’s recent run to the top of the On3 Consensus Team Rankings, the Wolverines have been the next hottest hand on the recruiting trail.

The last two weeks have been productive on the football field. The Wolverines topped Ohio State for the first time in a decade. The Wolverines followed that up with a win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. They were then selected to take part in the program’s first College Football Playoff.

Since Thanksgiving weekend, the commits and momentum on the recruiting trail have poured in.

First, the Wolverines landed the commitment of the No. 230 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus for the class of 2023 in Richmond (Va.) Benedictine Joel Starlings on Nov. 28. The Wolverines added to the 2023 class with the commitment of West Bloomfield (Mi.) wide receiver Semaj Morgan on Dec. 1.

The same day Consensus four-star edge Ethan Burke committed to the Wolverines.

Dec. 3 saw the No. 131 overall player in the On3 Consensus for the class of 2022 Zeke Berry commit to the Wolverines after sitting in the stands in Ann Arbor to watch Michigan’s win over Ohio State.

Today, the Wolverines landed Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln linebacker Raylen Wilson, the No. 84 overall prospect in the class of 2023 and No. 69 overall prospect in the class of 2023 in the On3 rankings.

It appears the Wolverines have the attention of some of the elite players in the next few recruiting classes.

The success the Wolverines have had in 2021 is potentially setting up Jim Harbough and his staff for another run at becoming the premier program in the Big Ten. They hopped the Ohio State hurdle for the first time in the Harbough era.

The Buckeyes will remain talented, but Michigan is adding to an already deep cupboard of their own. The next two classes are set up to be key pieces of a new foundation in Ann Arbor.