Rivals.com updated its prospect rankings this week, with Fresno (Calif.) Central wideout and Michigan Wolverines football commit Xavier Worthy stealing headlines when he rose all the way from a three-star to the No. 57 overall player nationally.
Worthy wasn't the only Michigan commit who made a significant leap in the rankings though. Wallingford (Conn.) Choate Rosemary Hall offensive tackle Tristan Bounds and Clayton (Ohio) Northmont wide receiver Markus Allen received boosts as well, each rising from three-star prospects to four-stars.
The promotions of the three aforementioned U-M pledges now gives the Wolverines 12 four-stars in their 2021 class, which are tied with Clemson, Oregon and Tennessee as the sixth-most in the nation.
Worthy's inclusion in the Rivals100 also gives Michigan five commits who are rated among the 100 best players nationally, to go along with Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy (No. 30), Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson four-star offensive tackle Giovanni El-Hadi (No. 54), Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian's Country Day four-star tight end Louis Hansen (No. 70) and Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood four-star linebacker Junior Colson (No. 87).
While head coach Jim Harbaugh's recruiting classes have been commendable in recent years (signed the No. 10 class nationally in 2019, the No. 11 haul in 2020, etc.), one knock on them has centered around the lack of top-100 prospects.
The Maize and Blue have only signed five Rivals100 players in their last three recruiting classes (dating back to the 2018 cycle), with four of those five residing in the 2019 haul — defensive tackle Chris Hinton (No. 15), safety Daxton Hill (No. 24), running back Zach Charbonnet (No. 60) and offensive tackle Trente Jones (No. 90).
That trend appears to be coming to an end in the 2021 cycle, with Michigan's five Rivals100 commits currently tied for the fourth-most of any team in the nation, behind only the eight that Alabama and Ohio State each possess, and the six that Oregon has.
As a result, U-M's 2021 class as a whole now sits at No. 6 in the nation.
With 12 four-stars already on board and a few scholarships yet to fill, Michigan appears to be in position to reel in one of its biggest four-star hauls of the last decade.
The 2021 cycle should definitely surpass the 13 that were signed in both 2019 and 2020, and if U-M is able to land several of its top remaining targets still on the board, could match the 16 that were inked in 2013 and 2017.
The Number of Four-Star Prospects Michigan has Signed in Every Class Dating Back to 2011
• 2020 — 13
• 2019 — 13
• 2018 — 7
• 2017 — 16
• 2016 — 15
• 2015 — 6
• 2014 — 6
• 2013 — 16
• 2012 — 10
• 2011 — 6
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