Michigan Football Recruiting: BCS Success Will Lead to Recruiting Boom

Michigan's chances of landing elite recruits skyrocketed after Brendan Gibbons nailed the game-winning field goal to end the Sugar Bowl. That's because, above all else, players are looking to go where they will get the most exposure, and BCS victories certainly fall into that category.

Head coach Brady Hoke has brought the spirit of winning back to Ann Arbor. As long as that remains in place, players will be flocking to the storied program in hopes of using it as a jumping off point for their football career.

The Wolverines are likely to be heavily involved in the BCS race again next season, which should make them a popular choice on signing day for players who had yet to make a final decision.

All it really takes is one top-notch recruiting class to get the ball rolling downhill. Once high school players around the nation see a parade of top prospects heading to Michigan, the coaching staff's job becomes a lot easier.

Michigan is on the road to becoming a destination people want to go again. Instead of having to be convinced it's still an elite school, they will just have to look at the results and see it most certainly still is.

Momentum is everything in college recruiting. When a school is on an upswing like Boise State or Oregon in recent years, they start getting commitments from prospects they couldn't have dreamed even a decade ago.

The Wolverines have always been able to attract talent, but the quality of classes has dropped due to two seasons without a bowl appearance followed by a loss in the Gator Bowl in 2010.

This season's class should end up illustrating how quickly the tide can turn, though. According to Rivals, they have already received commitments from 5-star recruits Kyle Kalis and Ondre Pipkins, as well as nine 4-star players.

That's a terrific start, with more marquee names likely to join that list before it's all said and done. Paired with all the returning talent, Michigan is shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with in 2012.