Opinion: Jim Harbaugh must change narrative or Michigan's recruiting will take more hits
The interest was real and the intrigue enduring. Sebastian Cheeks gave a hard look at the Michigan football program.
He liked the academic profile of the university. He enjoyed his interactions with the players and was intrigued by the new defense implemented this offseason, with concepts that came straight from the NFL.
The proximity of Ann Arbor was also appealing for a kid raised in the middle of Big Ten country, where an afternoon car ride would transport him from home in Evanston, Illinois, to the doorstep of the Big House.
But in late July, the four-star linebacker picked a softer shade of blue when he committed to North Carolina over the Wolverines and four other major Power Five programs.
“It was an easy decision for me,” he told the Detroit Free Press in early August.
After all, a feeling of security was a big factor for Cheeks, and Michigan appeared unsettled following a tumultuous 2020 season that spawned more upheaval. The 2-4 slog through a truncated Big Ten season dissolved into a protracted contract standoff between head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan administration. Eventually, Harbaugh agreed to an unusual extension that halved his base salary and reduced the university’s buyout obligation. The move didn’t inspire confidence. But Harbaugh went back to work under his new terms. He quickly overhauled his staff and hired six new assistants to recharge the sagging program. Cheeks watched these moves unfold in real time, wondering what they meant for the future.
“I think stability is something I have always looked for in the staff and also for me, in particular, there were some other things with Michigan that really didn’t sit well with me,” he said.
The issues were apparent.
College football coaches on hot seat: Jim Harbaugh makes the list
More Wolverines: How Jim Harbaugh, Mike Hart teamed up to revive Michigan football years after public spat
Skepticism reigned supreme among outsiders who saw the future as uncertain as it had ever been since Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor in December 2014. The cloudy prospects have fostered a rich environment for negative recruiting, leaving Michigan in a vulnerable spot until the Wolverines can change the perception on the field in the coming months. Cheeks heard the whispers and slights.
“But the reality of the fact is they didn’t have to mention it to me,” he said. “I think a lot of people are aware. The fact is Harbaugh, if he’s not able to beat Ohio State in these next couple years, he’s probably out of there… That’s just how it is.”
Harbaugh’s tenure has been tarnished by more than his 0-5 mark against the Buckeyes. He has a 1-4 record in bowl games, has failed to lead his program to a Big Ten championship game appearance, has yet to win as an underdog in 12 tries, and has presided over a steady decline — leaving Michigan unranked in both preseason polls for the first time since Harbaugh’s inaugural 2015 campaign.
The hype that usually percolates this time of year has been noticeably absent, as the Wolverines have retreated into their bubble along State Street.
The buzz has also disappeared on the recruiting trail, where Harbaugh used to make headlines with his brash satellite camp tours and in-home visits. The novelty factor that accompanied his celebrated arrival in Ann Arbor has waned, further blunting the Wolverines’ efforts to court the country’s best prospects.
Only one top-100 recruit has delivered a verbal pledge in this cycle and it’s Grosse Pointe South’s Will Johnson, a Michigan legacy, and the Free Press' No. 1 high school football player for 2021.
With only three four-star prospects in the fold, Michigan is 15th in the 247Sports’ 2022 class rankings – two spots ahead of Rutgers. It’s a worrisome development more concerning when considering the average rating for the Wolverines’ 15 commitments is lower than all but one team ranked above them and four others below them.
After seeing talent deficiencies exposed last year, Harbaugh concentrated on rebuilding the roster. He hired younger, more energetic coaches to his reorganized staff, and revamped the recruiting department, bringing in Michigan alum Courtney Morgan as director of player personnel to replace Matt Dudek. The effort was concentrated.
But obstacles remain as other programs have spun the narrative that the Wolverines were backsliding toward irrelevance.
More Wolverines: How new Michigan staffer strayed outside NCAA rules, exposed Jim Harbaugh's hypocrisy
“Every school is going to try to talk trash about every other school,” said Michigan commitment Mario Eugenio, a four-star edge defender. “So, yeah, I heard that in recruiting about them. But I also heard negative recruiting by every other school that was recruiting me. That wasn’t something that really fazed me.”
It also didn’t influence Johnson, even though his family was subjected to the badmouthing. His father – a proud Michigan alum – listened as others made an audacious attempt to build a case against his alma mater.
“Some things are true,” said Deon Johnson, a former cornerback who played for the Wolverines from 1990-1994. “But then some things are kind of a stretch. A lot of it I just look as part of recruiting. They’re comparing themselves to other coaches. They’re comparing programs. Then some of the things you just know it’s not apples to apples; some of it is apples to oranges. …I’m not really into the negative recruiting. Sell me on your program. Don’t sell me on what the other program can’t do.”
Michigan has tried to lay out its vision in its recruiting pitch. Eugenio was enticed after several staff members told him how they planned to use him in the reconfigured defense. He also appreciated the “family vibe” he felt when he visited in June.
But like many players in his class, Eugenio was too young to remember the last time Michigan won the Big Ten title in 2004, just around the time Eugenio and his peers were born. A generation of young adults have seen the Wolverines dominated by Ohio State and suffer a string of disappointments that have chipped away at the ‘Block M’ prestige. After Michigan went adrift in 2020, the remaining uncommitted prospects in the 2022 class are looking to see if Harbaugh and his reworked staff can chart a new course.
“Those are the biggest things in recruiting – people seeing and feeling about what you are talking about,” co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said. “Because you can talk until you’re blue in the face, but until they actually get to feel it and see it that’s what really makes the difference.”
In the next couple of months, Michigan will have the opportunity to prove its worth. If the Wolverines seize it, the future should be promising. But if they miss it, the consequences could be grave for both Harbaugh and the program.
The Wolverines are at an inflection point; where they go from here is anybody’s guess.
“We’re not talking no more,” fifth-year linebacker Josh Ross said. “Let’s just go do it.”
For Michigan, it’s now or never – both between the lines and inside the boundaries of the recruiting trail.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin.