Baumgartner: What We Learned in Harbaugh's First Year

Submitted by Eye of the Tiger on

Thought this was a good read. Really puts emphasis on the way Harbaugh closes this recruiting class as a crucial variable for future success:

 

This, basically, is Harbaugh's first full class. It's the first class the staff has had a full year to work on. And it's the most important class he'll sign because it'll be the backbone of his program.

Take Ohio State as an example. In Urban Meyer's first full class, the 2013 group, he hauled in names like Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Vonn Bell, Jalin Marshall, J.T. Barrett, Eli Apple, Gareon Conley and more. That's the backbone of Ohio State's national title squad right there. Brady Hoke's first full class (2012), as a contrast, produced exactly one All-Big Ten player to date (Devin Funchess).

The race to the first Wednesday in February is always important. Right now, for Michigan, it's beyond critical.

 

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FauxMo

November 30th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^

Not a knock on the OP at all, but I read this earlier and the summary is: Harbaugh really good, ahead of schedule, but the team needs more depth and more athleticism via recruiting. Nothing ground breaking in there...

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PopeLando

November 30th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^

True, but it's meant to be encouraging. And it succeeds. Urbs is a great coach (maybe not a great human...). And this year showed what Harbaugh can do with an assortment of shattered, under-developed holdovers. Just wait until year two. Doesn't feel like a fluke. Bring on the fluff!

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Gofor2

November 30th, 2015 at 7:08 PM ^

That in 2012 Michigan had the 6th ranked class and in 2013 Michigan had the 5th ranked class. So the OSU comparison is very misleading. UM recruited the talent, and they are still at UM, they just suck compared to OSU. That's not because Hoke / Crazy Jim are bad coaches, It's because they are not in the same class as Urban Meyer, or Mark Dantonio who has whipped UM's ass every year for almost a decade now with a average recruiting class that is 10 spots lower in ranking. Maybe it's just hard for recruits to get excited about having chose Michigan when they really wanted to go to OSU but couldn't make the cut. I mean I have no doubt players like Kali's and Thomas wish they would have been Buckeyes. They would have BiG Rings, NC rings, and 4 pair of gold pants. That beats what they have now, which is just another sore ass from that rape they just went thru, like the last 3 years.

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michgoblue

November 30th, 2015 at 4:21 PM ^

Obviously he was joking, but do you believe that OSU does not engage in SEC-like recruiting practices?  If so, I suggest that you google Terrelle Pryor (and his many "borrowed" high-priced cars), Maurice Clarrett, Tatgate and a host of other OSU recruiting issues, and when you are done with those, take a look at some of the allegations about OSU's current coach back when he was at Florida.  Also, OSU's former coach, only gone for a few years, was forced out because even the pathetic NCAA enforcement arm found that he created an environment in which there was a lack of institutional control!

I hate the O$U / Urban Liar type jokes as much as anyone, but what the poster that you responded to said is totally fair.

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Sideline

November 30th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^

Remember- this class Urban had a full month ahead of everyone else on the recruiting trail as Fickell was still the HC at Ohio State for their bowl prep, Urban got to focus 400% on recruiting... Not really cheating, but also getting a full month ahead of anyone else on the recruiting trail will give you an advantage if you're a guy with Urban Meyer's clout.

Harbaugh will have this team LASER focused on 2016. We will go into the shoe, and we will beat the Buckeyes just as bad as they beat us this year. 'RABACK' it, 'Sideline' it, I don't care. This will happen.

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Eastern Wolverine

November 30th, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^

all influential UM alumni and particularly former players are doing everything they can to legally help JH and staff recruit the best players possible. I'm no Magnus, but there has to be a way to legally leverage UM alumni success and connections to beat our rivals on the recruiting trail. Neg me if I'm just wrong.

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michgoblue

November 30th, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^

This is dead on. 

Much of Harbaugh's success / failure this year and next will be predicated on players recruited by Hoke.  If Harbaugh does well, he will rightly get the credit for developing these players; if he struggles, most rational fans would give him the benefit of the doubt and understand that Harbaugh inherited a roster that - while not a bare cupboard - is lacking in depth at numerous positions and will lose even more from the inevitable attrition associated with even the smoothest coaching change. 

By year 3-4, however, most fanbases (and the media, which unfortunately drives perception to a large degree) will expect results and will blame any lack thereof on Harbaugh.  The kids recruited this year wil be sophmores / juniors during those years.  If this class produces some of the home run hitters that Meyer's first class produced, we will be set up nicely for some great success during those years.  If not, we could still be struggling against our chief rivals in years 3-4 of Harbaugh, which wouldn't go over well, even for Harbaugh.

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Zoltanrules

November 30th, 2015 at 4:20 PM ^

My expectation is closing out with a good recruiting class including some difference makers (which looks likely) and bowl game performance that in no way resembles the OSU game.

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Muttley

November 30th, 2015 at 4:47 PM ^

Harbaugh's culture of finding a way to get a little bit better each and every day will compound over time. I expect that a few freshman and sophomores that are presently well down the depth chart will surprise in say 2017 and emerge to be strong contributors.

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mgobleu

November 30th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^

Pretty misleading. Hoke's first FULL recruiting class not only had Funchess, but also Chesson, Willie Henry, Joe Bolden, Jarrod Wilson, Darboh, Chris Wormley... Not exactly slouches. His first FIRST class had Countess, Frank Clark (off field issues not withstanding), and everyone's favorite anecdote, Thomas Rawls. Not exactly chopped liver what he hauled in, even despite a lack of quality coaching.

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UMichStudent2019

November 30th, 2015 at 5:15 PM ^

I think it's also worth noting, though, that the players from his first full class, as promising as they were, didn't gain any significant attention until Harnaugh and co. worked with them. Hoke brought in SOME talent, and did virtually nothing with it. Conversely, Harbaugh and co. were able to develop Hoke's somewhat talented but essentially undeveloped players into a group of guys who strung together a pretty impressive season. 

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michgoblue

November 30th, 2015 at 5:19 PM ^

I am not putting down any of our current players, but let's look closer:

Funchess was great and a huge get.  I agree.  Chessen and Darboh are also rounding into great and very good wide receivers, as well.  After that, it gets a bit dicey.  Henry and Wormley are solidly above average, and Wilson is looking like he, too, will be above average.  Bolden?  Really? 

So Hoke got 3 good receivers and two good DL players in his first class.  Pretty decent, and that has contributed to our winning 9 games and possibly 10.  But, compare that to the haul that Urban got in year 1:  Bosa (one of the top DL players in the country), Zeke Elliott (one fo the top RB in the country), J.T. Barrett (last year's Heisman candidate), Von Bell, Jalin Marshall, Gareon Conley - these are the types of recruits that lead to NC contention.  Does Joe Bolden really measure up to those guys? 

 

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mgobleu

November 30th, 2015 at 7:15 PM ^

I'm not comparing the two classes; the takeaway was more that Hoke got Funchess and basically that's all his first class was good for. I think that's bullshit. P.s., I'm not defending Hoke, but recruiting wasn't his problem; I think he did admirably for a low energy, mid-major type of coach. All I'm saying is don't act like all he got in his first class was Funchess and lunch meat.

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Tuebor

November 30th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^

We learned that Michigan's QB recruiting under Hoke was atrocious. An Iowa cast off is likely going to finish the season as the second best single season passer in school history. 

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Dawkins

November 30th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^

FUCK sparty baumgardner. He was jumping up and down watching his spartans win on a fluke while standing on the michigan sideline. Hackett needs to revoke his press credentials and tell the MLive management (all MSU alumns, btw) to send us an unbiased reporter. 

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