Michigan Football Recruiting: 4 Reasons Why Brady Hoke Will Find Elite Talent

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke secured a top 10 recruiting class in 2012. The Wolverines are back, and Hoke should help Michigan stay elite on both the recruiting trail and the gridiron for years to come.

Hoke came in last year and promised to resurrect a beleaguered Michigan football program. In his first year, Hoke won the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Wolverines' first BCS bowl win in a decade, and put together a strong recruiting network.  

Last week, I wrote that Hoke will out-recruit Ohio State, which is a controversial statement, but it appears increasingly clear that Hoke will keep Michigan performing and recruiting at an elite level for years to come.

Let's take a look at four reasons why...

Michigan Football Made Great Strides in Brady Hoke's First Year

When Brady Hoke took over Michigan's football program last year, it was a complete mess. The Wolverines were fresh off a 7-6 season and a beatdown to Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. The year before, the Wolverines went 5-7 after a 4-0 start and, before that, the team went 3-9 and suffered the school's worst losing season in a half century.

Less than a year later, Hoke finished off a 11-3 season with a BCS Sugar Bowl win, which capped an extremely impressive turnaround. Looking back, it's hard to appreciate what Hoke achieved until you think about the program's woes from their 2006 Rose Bowl loss all the way until he arrived on campus.

Hoke will return most of Michigan's offensive starters in 2012, which means the team will again put up points at an elite level. Even more important, Hoke and his defensive staff turned an atrocious 2010 unit into an average group in 2011.

The 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes both emphasize defense, so Michigan is poised to improve and become a more balanced team in 2012.

The team's turnaround was even more impressive on the recruiting trail. Rich Rodriguez damaged Michigan's recruiting network over his three years, and the school did not recruit a top 25 class in 2010. Hoke took over and recruited a top 8 class this year, which should lead to even more dramatic improvement in the future.

In fact, let's take a deeper look at that 2012 class...

Michigan's 2012 Recruiting Jump Bodes Well for Future Years

Michigan versus Ohio State football recruiting is once again the most hotly debated issue in the Big Ten. I wrote that Hoke's 2012 class was the Big Ten's best, and, while that is debatable, the class was Michigan's best in a half-decade and rivaled only by Ohio State within the conference.

Hoke showed two important skills on this years' recruiting trail: He sold recruits on Michigan's reputation and showed a willingness to aggressively address weaknesses on the roster. The class was defensive-minded, which was exactly what Michigan needed.  

In particular, Hoke found three future star linebackers in Royce Jenkins-Stone, Joe Bolden and James Ross who will collectively form the bedrock of a fast, mobile defense. He also complemented last year's defensive backs group with highly athletic corner Terry Richardson. All those players will help immediately and create a strong 2012 defense.

So, Hoke's 2012 recruiting brought in players who will help the team build on its 2011 success and created a strong network that will be beneficial in future years.   

Michigan Wolverines Football and Brady Hoke Now Represent Success and Stability

What does Michigan football represent? Historically, the Wolverines represented stability and success. The school had four decades' worth of consecutive bowl-eligible winning seasons and was a regular participant in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan never had the National Championship cachet of Florida State or the flash of "The U," but recruits knew they were going to a program with a long history of consistent performance.

After four years of upheaval, Brady Hoke has restored the semblance of success and stability to Michigan. Hoke is in it for the long haul, and prospects know he is intent on building a strong program that will win year after year.  

With that reputation, strong recruiting and on-field performance seem sure to follow.  

There Is Room for Two Elite Schools in the Big Ten

In the wake of National Signing Day, there is a lot of debate over which coach will be King of the Big Ten: Urban Meyer or Brady Hoke.

That debate remains unresolved. Both Hoke's and Meyer's 2012 recruiting classes ranked in the top 10 nationally, and choosing between them is like splitting hairs. Meyer's class boasts more top talent and athleticism, but Hoke's is a better fit for his team's needs.

But the reality is that debate isn't relevant to whether Hoke and Wolverines football will remain elite because there is space for two special programs in the Big Ten. Michigan and Ohio State seem sure to be those two teams moving forward.

Penn State is still reeling from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. It will take years for Happy Valley to recover. Iowa is a strong program, but Kirk Ferentz rarely recruits elite talent. Michigan State has been on the rise, but it does not look like a future national title contender. So, considering the size and power of the Big Ten, there is room for both Ohio State and Michigan to thrive.

So, let's debate Michigan versus Ohio State all day but one fact remains: Brady Hoke will keep the Wolverines elite on the field and the recruiting trail for years to come.