Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh couldn’t discuss Paramus, N.J. Catholic pledge Rashan Gary after Feb. 3’s Signing of the Stars event because he had yet to receive his letter of intent. Harbaugh opened up with The Huge Show’s Bill Simonson later Signing Day night.

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, he noted, and Gary – the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country and a potentially dominant defensive lineman – helped propel U-M to the No. 4 class in the country. There were twists and turns in the 12 hours before Gary finally announced on ESPN, but Harbaugh said the story was how they recruited him over the last year.

“The final 12 hours were just a culmination of a relationship,” he said. “Jen Coney, Rashan’s mom, has carried the most water. She is an outstanding parent. She wants what all the parents want for their sons, and that is the best for their sons.

“We have a great relationship with Paramus Catholic high school. They do a great job.”

He listed the coaches and even the school president in what he noted should be the continuation of a long and trusting friendship with the school, which has become a U-M pipeline. Gary, he said, is “going to flourish” at Michigan, and not just on the football field.

“He visited Michigan four times and connected with the people here,” Harbaugh said. “When he was here on his last visit, he was heading back to New Jersey and they had finals. He had to start studying, so he went into a room and for three hours he studied. He wasn’t up and down out of his seat, going to get snacks, drinking Diet Cokes … he studied for three solid hours because they had finals coming up. That’s really impressive.

“Rashan carries a 3.7 GPA. He works for things, wants to be the best in the classroom and excel in sports. With that kind of work ethic and what we do - we give them great support, coach them – I think it will be a great relationship. Our players, they’ve been around him a lot now. He’ll be part of our ball team. There’s nothing better than being part of a ball team.”

Harbaugh added he and his staff spend much of the year mining for the next “nuggets of gold” that will compete for playing time at Michigan.

“We’ve got really top-notch young men that are competitive in the classroom, on the athletic field,” he said. “They want to win the most awards, excel at sports … it’s what we’re going across the country, across the state of Michigan to find. It was a good year in that regard. We got some real nuggets.

“The other thing, too, is we go into their area, their school, are meeting their families. It makes it so much better for trusting, lasting friendships in the years to come. You get to know the parents, siblings, grandparents … I want them comfortable in calling me, and I don’t as the head coach delegate that to anybody else. The player development and welfare of their youngster, I take that seriously. It really helps us to be there in their hometown, know them, let them get to know us.”

That approach has helped them land them the nation’s No. 1 recruit this year, with the potential for another huge haul in 2017 to complement this year’s class.