The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/678402
FOOTBALL RECRUITING igan fans, who were used to seeing Hoke try to keep talent close to home. The unfamiliar style was compounded by the fact that Harbaugh didn't land a single Ohio recruit in 2015 or 2016 (or yet in 2017), whereas Hoke built the majority of each class in those two states. NOTABLE MISSES In the meantime, Michigan pursued — but failed to land — a number of other in-state prospects, including a few from pipeline program Cass Tech (2015 four-star running back Mike Weber picked Ohio State over Michi- gan on National Signing Day, and 2016 four-star safety Demetric Vance pledged to Michigan State). After a long high school journey that saw him play at three different in- state high schools, plus one in Califor- nia during his final three high school years, five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes ended up playing right across town at Ann Arbor Skyline. That didn't result in landing with the local college program, though, and Hayes broke a long-standing commitment to USC only to sign with Notre Dame. Especially damag- ing was that Michigan — the school he almost committed to in the spring before his junior year — wasn't even strongly considered by the No. 31 overall player nationally. Detroit King wide receiver Donnie Corley's high school career didn't have quite as much drama (he transferred just once, from Wyandotte Roosevelt to King before his junior year), nor was he quite as highly ranked (he was listed as the No. 2 prospect in the state and the No. 61 overall prospect in the land), but Michigan still didn't seem to be much of a factor in the end for the four-star recruit, who signed with Michigan State. Rounding out the top three in the state, Plymouth offensive lineman Michael Jordan also completed the trifecta of the best players headed to traditional Wolverine rivals. The 6-6, 275-pounder finished at the No. 6 of- fensive tackle and No. 99 overall pros- pect nationally, and made an early commitment to Ohio State. Even if the Wolverines planned to make a resurgence on their home turf, they would have to do it without the very cream of the crop — and that each of those players came from within a half hour's drive (or less) from Michi- gan Stadium was all the more painful. STRONG FINISH The Wolverines started chip- ping away at their in-state struggles by skipping ahead to the 2017 class, which had also been the case when Dunaway made his early commitment. Oak Park (Mich.) High offensive line- man Ja'Raymond Hall long favored the Maize and Blue, and he made that preference official Dec. 4. The 6-5, 282-pounder is rated as just a three-star recruit and the No. 52 of- fensive tackle nationally by Rivals. com, but he opened the door a crack for Michigan to save some face within its own borders. The floodgates opened — as much as they could with few uncommit- ted players remaining — for the 2016