Michigan looking to capitalize on successful season with big finish to 2022 recruiting class, momentum into 2023

After a historic season that upended every expectation about the program, the Michigan Wolverines’ football program is ready to capitalize on the recruiting trail. After beating Ohio State and winning their first Big Ten championship since 2004, they have been able to fill in the missing piece left that’s needed to convince recruits Ann Arbor is the place for them.

There is only a little over a week until the early signing period for the 2022 class, so there isn’t much time to capitalize on the success. Playing in the Big Ten Championship game also prevented the coaches from getting on the road to make in-home visits, though winning the game and making the CFP are far better recruiting tools anyway.

Still, there are some moving pieces left that could give a late boost to the 2022 class. For example, top 100 safety and Clemson commit Keon Sabb took a visit to Ann Arbor for The Game and received Crystal Balls for Michigan ever since. Throw in Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables likely leaving Clemson for the Oklahoma head job, and Michigan is in even better standing.

Four-star wide receiver Darius Clemons hasn’t been discussed much in regards to Michigan for a while, but now he’s started to show interest in the Wolverines again. The coaching carousel is also helping with this, as Oregon, which is viewed as the favorite to land him, could lose head coach Mario Cristobal to Miami. Auburn has been seen as the other favorite, but 6-6 looks a lot worse compared to 12-1 with the No. 2 seed in the CFP.

Currently, Michigan’s class is ranked 14th in the country, with four-star safety Zeke Berry helping boost that after committing this past Friday. Adding these guys with big fish like five-star offensive linemen Josh Conerly or Kiyaunta Goodwin could get Michigan up into the top 10, which didn’t seem likely just a few weeks ago.

But the real impact is going to be felt in the 2023 class. Just 10 days ago there were no commits at all in the class. Then in-state kicker Adam Samaha got things started on Thanksgiving. Four-star defensive lineman Joel Starlings and in-state three-star wide receiver Semaj Morgan joined in the wake of the Ohio State victory.

Michigan is poised to add a few more pieces to the class very soon. On Wednesday, top 100 linebacker Raylen Wilson is choosing between Michigan and Georgia, with all the predictions coming in for the Wolverines. In-state three-star offensive lineman Dylan Senda is making his decision Dec. 20, and fellow offensive lineman Sam Pendleton moved up his decision date to Jan. 10. Both have received predictions for Michigan recently.

This will just be the beginning for the Wolverines as they hit the ground running in the offseason while looking to pull in one of the top classes nationally following a successful 2021 season. Look for them to be in contention for top talent they may not have had a chance with in previous years.