Michigan Football Ranks No. 1 Among All Big Ten Programs In Critical Area

Given just how critical recruiting is to the overall success of a college football program, it's no surprise that Universities are spending more than ever to rake in top talent.

When it comes to the world of competing in college football, few areas are more important than recruiting. Although signing the a top-ranked class nationally doesn't guarantee that national championships will follow, it's pretty clear that it gives you the best odds possible. Since 2017, Alabama has signed a Top-2 class five times, while Georgia has signed a Top-3 class five times. During that same timeframe, either Alabama or Georgia has captured the national championship in four out of six seasons. 

Put simply, recruiting matters. 

In an article published recently by CBS Sports, it was revealed just how much college football programs are spending on recruiting - and it turns out it's quite a bit. Since 2017, Georgia has outspent every other football program on the recruiting trail by a whopping $5 million, with recruiting expenses totaling over $16 million. Alabama, the No. 2 overall spender on the recruiting trail since 2017, is averaging roughly $1.9 million on recruiting each year. 

So, where does Michigan rank when it comes to recruiting expenses? Here's a closer look: 

National Yearly Average Since 2017

1. Georgia: $2,753,143
2. Alabama: $1,912,050
3. Tennessee: $1,788,183
4. Clemson: $1,661,691
5. Texas A&M: $1,567,746
6. Michigan: $1,353,431
7. Oklahoma: $1,301,044
8. Texas: 1,301,044
9. Penn State: 1,240,848
10. Arkansas: $1,098,022

Big Ten Yearly Average Since 2017

1. Michigan: $1,353,431
2. Penn State: $1,240,848
3. Nebraska: $937,279
4. Minnesota: $904,139
5. Rutgers: $879,494
6. Ohio State: $845,113
7. Illinois: $749,850
8. Michigan State: $721,879
9. Maryland: $683,200
10. Indiana: $606,147
11. Purdue: $602,360
12. Iowa: $459,128
13. Wisconsin: $392,724
14. Northwestern: N/A

Not only does Michigan lead the conference in yearly average since 2017, it also outspent every other Big Ten program in 2022 on the recruiting trail by a significant margin.  

Big Ten Recruiting Spending (2022)

1. Michigan: $2,240,064
2. Rutgers: $1,609,032
3. Penn State: $1,486,521
4. Maryland: $1,380,974
5. Ohio State: $1,292,799
6. Illinois: $1,157,460
7. Minnesota: $1,127,389
8. Nebraska: $1,020,050
9. Michigan State: $955,303
10. Purdue: $878,651
11. Wisconsin: $857,490
12. Indiana: $826,713
13. Iowa: $577,589
14. Northwestern: N/A

With an uptick in spending on the recruiting trail, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Wolverines currently have the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. There's still a long way to go between now and the early signing period in late December, but it's clear that Michigan is doing whatever it can on the recruiting trail to help bring a national championship back to Ann Arbor.