Preseason All-American Teams Reminder of Michigan's Talent Problem

Aside from missing out on the occasional blue-chip prospect here and there, it's hard to imagine that Michigan's offseason could be going any better.

While the former face of Michigan athletics takes over as CEO of Toys "R" Us, the new face—and personality—of Wolverines football is entering his sixth month of what has thus far been a successful rehabilitation process for the reputation of a long-storied but struggling program.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a coach in college football who has made more positive headlines this offseason than Jim Harbaugh, who has made Michigan nationally relevant—for the right reasons—for the first time since 2007.

But as Harbaugh and his staff prepare to embark on an unprecedented tour of satellite camps this month, Monday served as a sobering reminder of the challenge that the former San Francisco 49ers head coach has ahead.

While other Big Ten teams were sending out press releases touting their inclusions in Phil Steele's annual preseason All-American and all-conference teams, the Wolverines found themselves on the outside looking in when it came to claiming bragging rights.

That's because the college football expert—whose preseason selections go four teams deep—only tabbed six Michigan players on either list, naming linebacker Joe Bolden a second-team All-Big Ten selection, offensive lineman Kyle Kalis and linebacker Desmond Morgan third-team all-conference selections, and wide receiver Amara Darboh, safety Jabrill Peppers and punter Blake O'Neill fourth-team All-Big Ten picks.

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To say that the Wolverines' presence on these lists pales in comparison to that of rivals Ohio State and Michigan State would be an understatement.

While the Buckeyes tout eight preseason All-Americans and an astonishing 17 All-Big Ten selections and the Spartans claim five preseason All-Americans and 13 all-conference picks, Michigan can't help but be reminded of how far it has to go to catch up to the Big Ten's elite.

"They're outstanding programs," Harbaugh said of the conference's past two champions during his introductory press conference last December.

In the bigger picture, it's postseason awards that matter much more than what's projected in June, but the lack of perceived talent in Ann Arbor remains alarming nonetheless.

Harbaugh has a strong history of player development, both at the college and pro levels, but can he get enough out of his current players to be competitive in his first season as the head coach of the Wolverines?

While Steele's list may beg to differ, recruiting rankings would indicate it's certainly possible. Attracting talent was never the problem for Brady Hoke during his four years at Michigan—it was his failure to make the most of it that paved the way for Harbaugh to take over his alma mater at the end of 2014.

Ultimately, that's why Bolden was the only one who wound representing Michigan on Steele's preseason All-Big Ten second team on Monday. Quite frankly, he was the only one who deserved it.

Peppers, Kalis, Derrick Green, Drake Harris and Lawrence Marshall are each dripping with potential, but until they prove themselves at the college level, it's tough to give them credit for their respective star rankings coming out of high school.

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That's not to say Harbaugh should shut the door on 2015 and divert his attention toward the future, when he will have brought in his own players and have his own system in place.

Especially when you consider both his ability to both develop talent and win football games, it would't be a surprise to see Harbaugh coach his way into a successful debut season with the Wolverines—whatever win total that may amount to.

In order to live up to the lofty expectations that he's brought with him from the Bay Area, he may need to do just that.

The offseason buzz for a program in need of just that has been nothing but positive for Michigan since Harbaugh arrived, but come September, his success will be measured by actual wins as opposed to headlines.

Harbaugh's history suggests that sooner or later, he'll be accomplishing both.

But Steele's preseason teams are reason enough to remember how much the Wolverines still have to prove in order to put their perceived talent issue in the past.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.