Tag: Matt Dudek

Thoughts on Michigan’s Recruiting Restructure

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As you may have heard, Michigan has done some restructuring of its recruiting plan. About a year ago, I wrote about how I thought Michigan could “fix” its recruiting (LINK). Some of those steps have been taken, and others not mentioned have also occurred.

A few things have changed in the past year, largely for the better.

1. Ronald Bellamy replaces Bob Shoop as safeties coach. There are rumors about Shoop’s time at Michigan, but he was never known as a good recruiter – though recruits did say a few positive things once in a while – and basically served as an analyst in 2020. Shoop is more of an X’s and O’s guy. Meanwhile, Bellamy spent the last chunk of his life coaching West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield to a point where it was a perennial threat to win a state championship. Bellamy got good talent to come to West Bloomfield – who would normally have attended other schools – and coached them up. He developed positive relationships with athletes who didn’t even attend West Bloomfield, and recruits seem to gravitate toward him. The former Wolverines wide receiver seems to be more of a father figure than a bombastic personality, but it appears to be working on the recruiting trail.

Hit the jump for more.

How to “Fix” Michigan Recruiting

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The title of this article implies that Michigan recruiting needs to be fixed. How terrible is it? Let’s take a look at class rankings during the Jim Harbaugh era using the 247 Composite rankings:

2015 (Harbaugh/Hoke combined class): #37 overall, #5 in Big Ten
2016: #8 overall, #2 in Big Ten
2017: #5 overall, #2 in Big Ten
2018: #22 overall, #3 in Big Ten
2019: #8 overall, #1 in Big Ten
2020: #14 overall, #2 in Big Ten
*2021: #6 overall, #2 in Big Ten (as of May 25, 2020)
AVERAGE: #11.4 overall, #2 in Big Ten

*Not included in averages

Not counting the 2015 combined class when Harbaugh had just one month to try to make up ground, he has averaged the #11 class in the country and finished as either #1, #2, or #3 class in the conference. It’s noteworthy that they have not finished behind any team from the Big Ten West during that time – only Ohio State and/or Penn State.

Hit the jump to see how I would go about improving Michigan’s recruiting.