Is There Cause for Concern for Michigan's Slow 2016 Recruiting Start?

Michigan fans clamoring for a program resurgence have plenty to be excited about with a new regime led by former star Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh.

The 51-year-old head coach is coming off a four-year stretch with the San Francisco 49ers that featured three conference championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. He quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in the NFL by turning around a proud franchise that had lost its luster before his arrival.

Harbaugh's San Francisco revival occurred immediately after his program-changing tenure at Stanford, which included the emergence of Andrew Luck.

For a fanbase that saw Michigan finish 6-10 against Big Ten opponents during the past two seasons, Harbaugh became an ideal candidate to clean things up in Ann Arbor. Now on the job for nearly three full months, he's well underway with spring practice and close to securing a possible starting quarterback in Iowa transfer Jake Rudock.

Progress on the field is imperative at Michigan, but may be even more paramount on the recruiting trail as Harbaugh attempts to build a new culture at his alma mater.

Those efforts have come with mixed results. 

He salvaged what he could from a 2015 class that was decimated during the final year of Brady Hoke's reign. The recruiting losses that preceded his arrival were catastrophic, highlighted by 5-star prospects Damien Harris and George Campbell.

Harbaugh inherited six commitments from Hoke and added eight more players during the six-week span he had to work with before national signing day. The haul was headlined by former Texas quarterback commit Zach Gentry and former Iowa running back pledge Karan Higdon, but signing day also featured a slew of stinging misses (notably Mike Weber, Iman Marshall and Van Jefferson).

Credit: 247Sports

The class finished 38th overall in 247Sports' composite rankings, though Harbaugh could only be held accountable for a small portion of the 2015 cycle in the wake of a widely publicized program collapse last season.

We acknowledged in the aftermath of this past singing day that Harbaugh would ultimately be judged more harshly or favorably based on how he fared on the 2016 recruiting trail.

To this point, there isn't much to report. Harbaugh has been stonewalled so far.

That's right—you've landed as many 2016 prospect commitments as Michigan's new leader managed during his first 10 weeks with the Wolverines. Unless, of course, you happen to be Nick Saban or Urban Meyer (in which case, thanks for reading, coaches).

Michigan claims two 2016 pledges—each from the Hoke era—in a class that currently rates 40th nationally. Harbaugh has retained holdover commitments from 4-star Illinois offensive lineman Erik Swenson and 3-star Maryland linebacker Dele Harding. 

Despite a lack of resounding recruiting success, there's reason to believe Michigan may be on the verge of making strides. 

The Wolverines are in good standing with several premier high school juniors, including 4-star North Carolina running back Robert Washington. The coveted rusher named Michigan a finalist this week and is expected to announce a commitment in April:

Ahmir Mitchell, a 4-star New Jersey wide receiver and defensive back, confirmed with Bleacher Report he intends to spend time in Ann Arbor this weekend.

He is expected to be joined at Michigan by fellow 4-star Garden State standouts Ron Johnson (defensive end) and Brad Hawkins (wide receiver), per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.

Mitchell echoed sentiments we've heard from recruits since Harbaugh's hiring.

"It's big-time," he said. "The opportunity to be coached by one of the best doesn't come around often."

Top-ranked California quarterback K.J. Costello also heaped praise on Harbaugh during a discussion with B/R's Damon Sayles. The promising passer is expected to decide between Michigan, USC and Stanford sometime soon.

"He's a coach I have a ton of respect for," Costello said. "I watched him in the NFL. He's an intense guy, and I like his style. I think he can turn the program around in two years."

Still, there's a difference between being starstruck and being convinced to commit.

Top-rated 2015 tight end Chris Clark called Harbaugh "the LeBron James of coaching" before choosing UCLA over Michigan on signing day.

Concerns ultimately stem from a lack of concrete results, though Harbaugh and his staff are clearly making strides with key targets.

When your head coach spent last season watching film on NFL opponents instead of potential high school prospects, it's going to set things back a bit for formulating a cohesive recruiting strategy. However, momentum could swing at any time.

Rival Ohio State suffered a near-four-month commitment drought while assembling its 2015 class and ultimately ended up among the top 10 nationally in terms of signed talent.

There's still a long way to go toward February 2016 and this process is far more like a marathon than a mad dash. Improved on-field results would undoubtedly help Harbaugh's case, but we expect him to begin gaining steam this spring as more prospects spend time on campus, perhaps setting the stage for a scintillating summer.

The total lack of a 2016 pledges credited to Harbaugh is glaring right now, but he will ultimately be judged on what this class looks like 11 months from now.

In the meantime, Michigan fans are best off keeping the faith that their lauded new leader is on the verge of finding his recruiting groove.

Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.