Michigan Football Recruiting: Why Brady Hoke Will Keep Out-Recruiting Ohio State

Michigan Wolverines coach Brady Hoke is proving to be a recruiting master.  Michigan’s 2012 class will be the school’s best since Lloyd Carr was the Wolverines coach, and Hoke’s recruiting will only improve once he entrenches himself at the school. 

However, new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer will look to close the recruiting gap. 

So, why will Brady Hoke’s Michigan Wolverines keep out-recruiting Ohio State?  

Ohio State Remains Mired in a Transitional Period

The Ohio State University's football scandal was overshadowed by Penn State’s horrifying misconduct.  However, its scandal was still very significant and it will take the school time to recover from the NCAA’s sanctions and its loss of prestige. 

Former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel lied to NCAA officials and looked the other way while many of his star players received improper benefits and violated NCAA rules by selling memorabilia.  Regardless of your personal views on the rights of collegiate athletes, the fact remains that the scandal significantly tarnished Ohio State’s reputation. 

Tressel resigned, recruiting suffered and the Buckeyes went through their worst season in school history under interim coach Luke Fickell.

Ohio State’s hiring of former Florida head coach Urban Meyer was an ambitious move, and he will help the school recover from the scandal.  However, for the moment, it remains mired in a transitional period. 

Meyer will need time both to set up his own recruiting network at his new school (he will certainly use his own contacts from his Florida years to recruit in the SEC, but he will need to set up a Midwestern recruiting base) and to find the personnel for his spread offense. 

So, while Meyer and Ohio State may catch up to Brady Hoke at some point in the future, Hoke is likely to out-recruit Ohio State for the next several years. 

Michigan’s 2012 Recruiting Class is Stronger than Ohio State’s Class

Under Jim Tressel, Ohio State consistently out-recruited Michigan, but that changed in Brady Hoke’s first year as coach of the Wolverines.  Michigan went from having a poor recruiting class in 2011 (it wasn't ranked in ESPN’s Top 25 and its best players were cornerbacks Blake Countess and Delonte Hollowell) to producing a top-10 class in 2012, which was a huge one-year jump in recruiting success.

Brady Hoke was the key ingredient in that success. 

The quintessential “Michigan Man,” Hoke radiates commitment to Big Blue tradition and radiates that to recruits.  He has built a strong recruiting base in the Midwest and that showed in 2012, as his class has several highly ranked defensive prospects, including cornerback Terry Richardson, linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone and linebacker Joe Bolden.  

Hoke also managed to shore up the few weaknesses in his prolific offense with top tight end recruit Devin Funchess and offensive guard Kyle Kalis.

Hoke has even gotten a head start on 2013 with quarterback Shane Morris.  Morris is a junior, local Michigan product and future star for the Wolverines.  He should succeed Denard Robinson at quarterback, which will help Michigan’s offensive continuity and Hoke’s ability to attract top recruits.

Urban Meyer’s first Ohio State class is also rounding out nicely.  Meyer will have a top 10 class also and he continues to add talent. His best players include defensive end Noah Spence, defensive tackle Tommy Schutt, and running back Brionte Dunn. 

However, it suffers from a critical problem: Not all the key players fit his system.  Meyer is almost certain to have success at Ohio State but it will take time to both to install his spread-offense system at traditionally blue-collar Ohio State and to find the right players to run that system. 

In the meantime, Hoke will continue to build on his 2011 BCS Sugar Bowl run.

Michigan Will Build On its 2011 Success While Ohio State Recovers

Michigan is poised to have a breakthrough year in 2012.  The Wolverines were a mess under Rich Rodriguez but he left Brady Hoke with an elite offense to work with in 2011.  Hoke harnessed quarterback Denard Robinson’s talent while transitioning him to a more balanced, pro-style system.  Hoke also turned around Michigan’s defense and that led to an unexpected 2011 BCS Sugar Bowl win. 

Michigan’s best recruits in 2011 were defensive player,s and its 2012 class is also defense-focused.  That should infuse the 2011 group, which went from awful to average, with the talent it needs to become elite.  Combined with Michigan’s prolific offense, the Wolverines will be the Big Ten’s title favorites and contend for a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. 

In the meantime, Ohio State will take time to recover.  The 6-6 2011 season was a mess, Ohio State’s worst in school history.  Urban Meyer is an excellent coach but he is new and accepted the job late in the recruiting season. 

If Hoke can build on his 2011 success and make the Wolverines the best team in the Big Ten, his exceptional recruiting success will continue into 2013 and beyond.

Recruits Will Fear Another Early Retirement From Urban Meyer

Although not the most scientific of reasons, the specter of Urban Meyer’s growing penchant for early retirement will affect his recruiting over the long haul. 

Three years ago, Meyer announced his retirement from Florida in order to improve his health and spend more time to his family. 

A year later Meyer decided to come back but never regained his mojo and went back into retirement. 

Now, barely a year after that, Meyer is back again at Ohio State, so there are bound to be many recruits who question his long-term commitment to coaching.

The Verdict: Michigan vs. Ohio State Recruiting Wars Will Define the Big Ten

Two years ago, Ohio State was fresh off a Rose Bowl win over Oregon and Michigan was mired in the worst slump in school history.  But Brady Hoke has turned Michigan around and won the 2011 BCS Sugar Bowl while Ohio State is still recovering from the worst scandal to ever rock its football program. 

Hoke presided over one of the best recruiting jumps in recent years, taking Michigan from a below-average 2011 recruiting class to a top 10 group in 2012.  His on-field success in 2011 combined with the new defensive talent he has recruited will only help Hoke increase the recruiting gap while Urban Meyer gets up to speed.

Still, Meyer is a very talented recruiter and he will bring excellent talent to Ohio State. The bet here is Michigan will keep its edge, but one thing is certain: The recruiting rivalry between Hoke and Meyer will define the future of the Big Ten Conference.