Kirk Campbell entering excellent situation but has clear first priority

Michigan officially made the announcement on Friday that it has elevated Kirk Campbell from offensive analyst to Quarterbacks Coach to round out Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff for the 2023 season.

He is entering a quarterback room that is complemented by J.J. McCarthy who has two years left in Ann Arbor, the magical story of walk-on turned scholarship player Davis Warren, a grad transfer in Jack Tuttle, and a lot of young talent that includes Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal.

The cupboard is far from bare and there will be plenty for Campbell to work with.

The immediate future is set but that only goes so far in college football, Campbell is entering the coaching ranks with one clear priority in mind to make sure the quarterback position is stabilized.

Secure 2024 five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis.

While it's highly likely that Davis will shut down his recruitment process well before the 2023 season is set to start, Campbell won't have anything tangible to show in terms of how he develops quarterbacks at Michigan.

Fortunately, the offensive system isn't changing and there is plenty of evidence to show the five-star why he has been interested in U-M in the first place. The situation isn't quite dire yet but it's clear that recent events have allowed the door to be cracked for other schools to sneak in with Davis.

For months, Michigan was deemed to be the team to beat for Davis. While that still may be the case, this is where Campbell comes in, along with Jim Harbaugh, to shut the door for good and get this recruitment locked up.

One of the big question marks surrounding Campbell is his ability to recruit. While he has been well-received by the players on the roster, with many making it clear that he should be the first choice, recruiting high school players is a totally different game.

If Campbell can prove to be an efficient recruiter and can build a quick, strong bond with Davis, then the Wolverines already have a leg up on anything it had before Campbell was promoted.

The Wolverines only have themselves to blame if it allows Davis to slip through its fingertips. Self-inflicting wounds and the lack of a killer instinct on the recruiting trail will be to blame IF Davis decides to go elsewhere.

However, Campbell will allow himself plenty of goodwill with the fanbase who might be down on this hire if he can help get Davis into the fold.

Coaching the position won't be an issue considering who is returning to a loaded offense next season.

Priority number one is clear and the line has been drawn in the sand.

Bring Jadyn Davis home to Ann Arbor.

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