Michigan has only one commitment from Ohio
Here is a reason (one among many) that we are struggling.
The Free Press reports that Michigan has only 1 commitment from the state of Ohio in the 2020 class. In 2019, there were none.
Historically, Ohio was the state that provided the MOST recruits. I grew up watching Bo's teams that were just loaded with players from Ohio.
We have apparently traded New England for Ohio. An absolutely terrible trade. Other than a few good individual programs, New England high school football is weak to pathetic.
I am guessing that it is very uncomfortable for coaches to visit Ohio high schools. I am sure that they take crap from everyone.
But that is why they are paid millions of dollars.
Just another Harbaugh decision that makes zero sense.
Now let's go recruit some fullbacks and tight ends from Rhode Island!
December 16th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
This post is pretty narrow minded in reality. The state of Ohio has talent. More than the state of Michigan.
Should we be recruiting Ohio better? Sure. But if your pulling top ten classes every year and doing your evaluations properly you should be in the running every year.
December 16th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
You should be banned just for referencing a Rainer Sabin article.
Also, no shit that we had issues recruiting in a year where OSU is a CFP team and the Bearcats are a top 10 team
December 16th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
Sabin is a hack of the worst kind. No talent begging for reactions.
December 17th, 2020 at 9:23 AM ^
Calling for banning and censorship marks you as a petty despot.
Glad that you never amounted to anything and don't wield any power in the real world.
December 16th, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^
It is a problem. Need someone on the staff who can recruit Ohio. Most of our great skill players came from Ohio over the past 50 years.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Maybe it's how the fans say they hate Ohio, call it a cesspool and insinuate everybody there defecates in coolers. Pretty sure they refer to it as arrogance and they use it as motivation.
How's that going?
MSU likes to feed on it too......
December 16th, 2020 at 12:26 PM ^
I don't think that is it, though. Likely other issues.
Plus, those mouth breathing armpit living heathens certainly aren't reading.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
Lots of snowflakes, OP apparently lives in the area getting hit by that nor'easter snowstorm ?️ and is familiar with New England football recruiting.
Moar snowflakes ❄️❄️❄️!
December 16th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
I totally agree with this post and have been saying this for years. I live in Central Ohio and the Buckeye kool-aid is always being served in schools and the like. That being said, I grew up near Cincinnati and while there are a ton of Buckeye fans there, the kool-aid isn't served like it is here. I think it is absolute travesty that they aren't working Ohio more. While I am sure there is a lean toward OSU due to their success in recent years, a lot of people are open to going elsewhere. It is a top 5 state for HS football. I have no idea where Tom Harmon was from but Michigan's other two Heisman winners are from Ohio. People here love HS football.
I also think there is a lot of anti-Ohio crap posted on these boards which annoys me. I'm sure that probably comes across in recruiting as well. That attitude needs to change.
Would love to see someone do a deeper dive on this but I bet there is a strong link between the downturn in Michigan football and the number of dudes from Ohio.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
There is, but it's no easy fix. Jim Tressel locked the doors to the state and they've never truly re-opened. Brady Hoke made some inroads, but not enough to alter the balance of power; while he was picking up some 4* guys in Ohio that weren't OSU priorities, OSU was getting future NFL players from places like Texas.
The issue here is that the "recruit Ohio" strategy is really just people looking at what won the last war and trying to double down on it. It's not 1975 anymore, and not 1995 either. It's 2020, and the football landscape is different. Michigan is not going to beat OSU in Ohio, and even if it were able to win some battles there, OSU would still be locking up top-100 guys from all around the country, and in-state talent would continue to dream about playing in the Shoe.
Our recruiting in Ohio could be better, but making it a priority would be the equivalent of trying to win WWII using a WWI mentality. The French tried that and it didn't work. We're not competing against 1995 OSU; we're competing against 2020 OSU (and Alabama and Clemson and, yes, Notre Dame, a good parallel for us in academic standards and brand).
December 16th, 2020 at 1:35 PM ^
You get it. As the OP, I can scarcely believe all the dumb comments. As if Michigan (a midwestern football team) should just totally ignore the most fertile recruiting ground in the midwest (which is clearly Ohio).
Interestingly, Michigan is getting better as a HS football state. But its top recruits are going elsewhere....
December 16th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
Hire Marcus Freeman. Fixes a few issues.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
Sounds like Michigan should recruit Ohio harder. Not because a 4 star or 5 star from Ohio is any better than a 4 or 5 star from any other state. But rather because Michigan still has a lot of cachet in Ohio with coaches and players' families.
I get why people are arguing that Michigan doesn't really need to recruit Ohio harder than it needs to recruit any other state. They say what matters is bringing in quality recruits and it doesn't matter where they come from. I agree with that obviously. But one of the main problems that the article talks about is that the Michigan coaching staff has been neglecting previous relationships with high school coaches like Ted Ginn Sr.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:05 PM ^
Ted Ginn? The guy who delighted in sending his best to OSU and his not-so-best to TTUN? Pass.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^
Well maybe we should just forget about Glenville.
But I still think it's worth making recruiting in Ohio (and other Midwest states for that matter) a priority because Michigan has more prestige in the area. Michigan is a declining national power, but it's still a really appealing school for good players in the midwest. And Ohio produces a lot of good players. And they tend to come from a small pool of schools with a small pool of coaches.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
We need to recruit the Escanaba-Negaunee-Iron Mountain triangle better.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:42 PM ^
Ohio is an overrated state...I think there are metro areas in CA, FL and TX with as much talent
December 16th, 2020 at 12:44 PM ^
meant to add that losing kids from MI is more of concern, for me
December 16th, 2020 at 5:05 PM ^
Metro Areas with more HS football talent than the whole state of Ohio?
That is a big NO.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:45 PM ^
These types of posts annoy me for numerous reasons. Some of the main reasons:
1. Even if Ohio players don't pick Ohio State, that doesn't mean they want to go to Michigan. Ohioans are bred to hate Michigan.
2. Ohio State gets the cream of the crop in Ohio. Everyone else is left to fight over the scraps. So do you want to get the top guys in MA/CT or do you want to get the 20th best guys in OH?
3. Michigan has recruited guys from all over. Maurice Hurst was our best DT in a long time. Sean McKeon started over the guy from Florida. Kwity Paye started over guys from Florida and Virginia. These "New England" guys that everyone hates on are actually panning out to be starters and contributors. Louis Hansen is one of the top tight ends in the country. I could understand if the New England guys were coming here and flopping, but they're not.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
I’d trade Ohio and Michigan recruiting for just Florida or just Texas in a heartbeat if possible.
December 16th, 2020 at 12:56 PM ^
I see both sides of this. On one hand there’s no way that an elite Ohio recruit leaves the state for Michigan but on the other hand is a three star from a solid team in Ohio better than a Connecticut three star who probably hasn’t played anyone good? Yes.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:38 PM ^
Who gives a fuuuuuccccckkkkkk
December 16th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
We need more great players from any location
December 16th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
I was looking for this post. Harbaugh’s comments re Ohio recruiting are like his coaching persona now. Where’s the fire?
Detroit Free Press: On signing day, Michigan football's vanishing act in Ohio is an open wound
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverin…
December 16th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
IMO you need kids from Ohio for a lot of reasons and one of that is to emphasize the rivalry to the rest of the team. They tend to understand it more and on top of that they will play with more fire knowing they got passed by osu. We don't necessarily need to fill the whole team with kids from ohio but bringing a few of them every recruiting class helps.
December 16th, 2020 at 3:06 PM ^
You could build a really good G5 program out of Ohio kids, you're not beating Ohio State with Ohio kids. Harbaugh isn't failing because he didn't try to get enough 3 star Ohio kids on the roster. He's failing because his attempts to recruit in Atlanta and Texas, which Ohio State does well, failed miserably.
December 16th, 2020 at 4:45 PM ^
Alabama has 1 guy on their team from Ohio and they are doing just fine....
December 16th, 2020 at 5:02 PM ^
Urban made Ohio State a major national recruiter and they now compete with Alabama, Clemson, and LSU for the top players and they get more than their share.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:04 PM ^
OSU will take any Ohio kid that matches their scheme.
UM can't get a scheme solidified, and get the mixed bag that results.
Nothing wrong with the 2021 UM class talent-wise, just not selling/attracting a team identity talent, which has plagued us under current coaching staff.