Michigan Football Recruiting: Willie Henry Commitment Saves Class' Elite Status

Just when it looked like all of Brady Hoke's hard work was slipping away, Michigan received a commitment from defensive tackle Willie Henry to save the day. Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press passed along the news.

While Henry isn't an elite prospect, three stars according to Rivals, he fills a need and also stops the trend of prospects picking other schools instead of Michigan over the last couple weeks. The most recent disappointment was tight end Sam Grant going to Oklahoma.

In the early going, it appeared the Wolverines were on track to have one of the nation's best incoming classes with verbal agreements from Kyle Kalis and Ondre Pipkins. Things had slowed down, though, as other teams began to step up their effort on the remaining prospects.

Hoke and his coaching staff needed to hit the brakes on the slide before it was too late, especially with Ohio State on such a roll since Urban Meyer took over.

Henry serves that purpose by giving Michigan some momentum heading into National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday. If the Wolverines didn't receive any more commitments before then, it would have been a nervous day. At least now there is a little breathing room.

Recruiting is based on momentum, just like anything else. When one team is hot, all the players want to join the party. When a team cools down, players start looking elsewhere. That's just the way things work.

Michigan was on the wrong side for awhile there. It would be disappointing if the team didn't finish among the nation's top 10 classes, but it was a distinct possibility.

Between Henry and whatever last-minute additions are made on signing day, the Wolverines should have added enough talent to ensure they achieve that prestigious top-tier ranking for the year.

Added to the talent left over from the Sugar Bowl-winning roster, Michigan should be in great shape heading into spring practices.

So, while Kalis and Pipkins will be the stars of the class, Hoke will always be able to look back on Henry as the guy who saved the day just when a signing was desperately needed.