Michigan's Recent Miss On Five-Star Prospect Isn't All That Concerning

Although missing on a five-star prospect is never ideal, particularly to Ohio State, Michigan hasn't really relied on five-star talent throughout Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor.

With the season less than 60 days away, this is still the time of year where college football fans spend most of their days discussing and debating recruiting success. As evidence, look no further than the ongoing recruiting debate between Michigan and Ohio State fans.

After putting together one of the top-rated classes in the nation this off-season, Michigan missed out on five-star defensive lineman, Justin Scott. The 6-4, 310 pound prospect from the state of Illinois admitted he was leaning toward committing to Michigan prior to his visit to Columbus, but a last minute sales-pitch from the Buckeye staff was enough to seal the deal for Ohio State. 

Although missing on a five-star prospect is never ideal (particularly to Ohio State), Michigan hasn't really relied on five-star talent throughout Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor. In fact, the Wolverines have only had a small fraction of five-star talent when compared to the Buckeyes. Interestingly enough, that hasn't seemed to make much of a difference over the last two seasons. 

In 2021, Ohio State featured 16 five-star recruits on its roster when it arrived in Ann Arbor on Nov. 27. Michigan, on the other hand, featured just three five-stars on the roster that year...and two of them were true freshmen. The end result was a dominant victory for Michigan, led by former three-star prospect Hassan Haskins - who had a rivalry record of five rushing touchdowns on 28 carries that day.

Hassan Haskins, former three-star recruit 

In 2022, Ohio State once again had the upper hand when it came to top rated talent - featuring a total of 14 five-star prospects. As was the case in 2021, Michigan featured a grand total of just three five-star recruits. Seemingly overmatched once again, Michigan bullied the Buckeyes in their own building - and did so with lower rated talent, at least as far as the recruiting sites are concerned. 

Michigan's Mike Sainristil, former three-star recruit

There's absolutely no doubt that loading up with highly ranked players is a best case scenario for any college football program, but it also isn't a perfect science. On paper, Ohio State was far more talented than Michigan in both 2021 and 2022. In reality, the Buckeyes were dominated by the Wolverines each time.

When it comes to five-star talent, It's still going to take a few more successful years (and a serious emphasis on NIL) before Michigan starts recruiting at the level of Georgia or Ohio State. In the meantime for Michigan, player development, culture, and an elite coaching staff will be more than enough to supplement any perceived "misses" on the recruiting trail.