The state of Florida and the Northeast region of the United States are two areas the Michigan Wolverines' football program has hit the hardest in its 2021 recruiting class, with four of its 21 commits currently residing in the former and six in the latter (10 total, which makes up 47.6 percent of the class).
The Sunshine State has always been one of the most talent-rich states for high school football in the U.S., while the Northeast is more known for its under-the-radar prospects and hidden gems, if you will.
Michigan has nevertheless made a living off of recruiting the Northeast under head coach Jim Harbaugh, thanks in large part to defensive coordinator Don Brown and the reputation he built in that part of the country while serving as a collegiate coach there at a multitude of schools from 1982-2015.
We recently spoke to head coaches from both areas to get a better understanding of how Michigan's program as a whole is viewed under Harbaugh in each region, specifically from a recruiting standpoint.
What is Michigan's Reputation as a Whole in Florida?
• Brian Dodds, head football coach at Park Vista High School in Lake Worth, Fla. (located an hour north of Miami): “We are in Palm Beach County and Michigan comes in for the top-ranked players here.
"Down in Broward County and Miami-Dade County, Michigan is more prevalent because there are more players just south of us. Our county is big. If Miami, Florida or FSU is involved with a kid from our county, it’s game over.
