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Michigan had an outstanding Wednesday (the first day of the NCAA's new early signing period), when it inked 25 of its 27 commits, with the other two — Washington D.C. St. John's College High four-star safety Quinten Johnson and Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North three-star athlete Amauri Pesek-Hickson — expected to sign in February.
The class as a whole now ranks ninth overall nationally, and tops in the Big Ten.
Experts from all over the country took note of U-M's class phenomenal haul, and we've decided to round up some of their biggest takeaways.
It should be noted that different outlets refer to separate recruiting services, so the players' rankings/team rankings below aren't always unanimous.
Aaron McMann, MLive: Michigan's 2019 Recruiting Class: Fast, Versatile and a Winner
"In a conference that is always competitive, always right there when it comes to placing a team in the College Football Playoff, [head coach Jim] Harbaugh and his staff needed to find a jolt after another 10-win season and loss to Ohio State.
"They did -- even without prying [Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange] five-star defensive end Zach Harrison from the Buckeyes.
"You can criticize Harbaugh for the on-field product. The wins and losses. His offensive scheme and play calling. But he just produced another top-10 recruiting class, one that theoretically should produce a handful of future NFL players.
"Now the task will be to turn that into high-profile wins and something more than just a New Year’s Six bowl.
"The jury is still out, obviously, but this was a very good first step."
"Michigan is emphasizing speed across the board. The Wolverines have two safeties, [Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington five-star] Daxton Hill and Quinten Johnson, who run a 4.3 and 4.48 40-yard dash respectively. [Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy three-star] defensive end David Ojabo runs a sub-11 second 100-yard dash.
"The key will be utilizing the offensive weapons. On defense, that speed doesn’t have to be schemed in a certain way to be used, it’s inherent in every play. On offense, it will take some creativity.
"Michigan used a few RPOs successfully during the season, and players like [Oakley (Calif.) Freedom four-star receiver Giles] Jackson and [Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George] Johnson would be perfect to be the receivers running slants across the middle.
"Bubble screens could be an automatic four or five yards. There’s a million possibilities, and now Michigan has the troops to deploy on the rest of the Big Ten."
Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh Finds Fireworks on Positive Signing day
"Wednesday wasn't perfect, but it was plenty. And while the biggest moment of Harbaugh's tenure is still roughly 11 months away, on the field against Ohio State and new coach Ryan Day in November, this was a noted step in the right direction.
"A year ago, Michigan didn't finish on the recruiting trail. Nearly every one of the program's top targets wound up signing elsewhere.
"On Wednesday, U-M delivered Hill and [Greenwich (Conn.) Brunswick] 4-star receiver Cornelius Johnson. The Wolverines lost Harrison, a 5-star defensive end from near Columbus, to Ohio State as Day was able to hang onto Ohio's top-rated prospect in the 11th hour.
"But Michigan's class — despite the constant negativity floating around the program for the past month — sits No. 7 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
"It's a step in the right direction. Recruiting rankings aren't everything. Until you're the program standing there without any stars on signing day."
Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com: Early Signing Period: Biggest Surprises From the First day
Early Shock Waves
"One of the biggest pieces of news to drop Wednesday came shortly after 8 a.m. on the East Coast, when Michigan announced it had received a letter of intent from five-star Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington safety Daxton Hill.
"Just 11 days earlier, Hill had left the Wolverines at the altar, flipping his commitment to Alabama after being pledged to the Wolverines for the previous three months.
"Speculation that Michigan may still have a shot at Hill began almost immediately after he announced he was committing to Alabama on Dec. 8.
"There was some discussion that Hill would forego the Early Signing Period and take his recruitment into January, and that seemed to be Michigan’s best chance at getting the five-star back into the fold.
"Sending his letter of intent to the football offices in Ann Arbor early on Wednesday was not expected, however, and when the news dropped, it sent shock waves through the college football recruiting world.
"Those ripples would be extended throughout the day as additional news items of surprise landed."
Tom VanHaaren, ESPN: College Football Early Signing Period Winners, and Others With Work to do
VanHaaren declared Michigan as one of his four 'winners' of the early signing period:
"Michigan opened up signing day by flipping five-star safety Daxton Hill from the Tide. Hill, the No. 13-ranked recruit, was originally committed to Michigan but flipped to Alabama before the early signing period.
"Rumors swirled about Jim Harbaugh potentially having interest in an NFL job, but Harbaugh publicly refuted those rumors and the staff worked to get Hill back in the class.
"Those efforts paid off as Hill is now the highest-ranked signee in the No. 4-ranked class.
"Michigan also landed ESPN 300 wide receiver Cornelius Johnson on Wednesday to go with receivers Giles Jackson and Everett (Mass.) High three-star athlete Mike Sainristil.
"This class gives the Wolverines their first top-five class on a signing day since ESPN began ranking recruits in 2006.
"Michigan also currently has the top class in the Big Ten, which snaps an eight-year run of Ohio State finishing atop the conference."
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