Does Ohio State or Michigan Have Early Upper Hand in 2017 Recruiting Rivalry?

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines meet just once on an annual basis but these powerhouse college football programs battle throughout the year.

Iconic head coaches Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh go head-to-head daily through their respective nationwide recruiting efforts. Entrenched in Big Ten Conference territory, both teams have the history and buzz to pluck elite prospects from any corner of the country. 

Meyer, a three-time national champion, has secured five top-10 classes since arriving at Ohio State in 2011, including four considered top-five talent hauls on national signing day. His reputation as an elite closer on the recruiting trail dates back to the past decade, when he built the foundation of a dominant Florida Gators squad.

Harbaugh, credited with turning around the Stanford Cardinal and San Francisco 49ers, seems ahead of schedule in Ann Arbor after a debut season that featured the Wolverines' highest win total in four years and a convincing Citrus Bowl victory over Florida. He reeled in America's No. 5 overall recruiting class—spearheaded by No. 1 overall prospect Rashan Gary— earlier this month to punctuate his first full cycle at Michigan.

Athletes signed Feb. 3 by Harbaugh and Meyer represent the next phase in a rivalry that could regularly determine the fate of future Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff berths. From coaching hires to talent acquisition, Ohio State and Michigan are actively involved in an arms race that will continue to gain intrigue during the course of a rapidly developing 2017 recruiting cycle. 

At this stage, it's the Buckeyes looking back at the Wolverines. In fact, Ohio State has surged ahead of all college football contemporaries through early stretches of a cycle that ends next February.

Team	Commitments	4-Stars	5-Stars	Recruits in Top 100	National Ranking
Michigan	5	1	1	1	15
Ohio State	11	8	2	6	1

Meyer is the only coach who currently claims multiple 5-star commitments. Only Alabama and Oklahoma also have more than five 4-star pledges, though they are both still two 4-star talents shy of the matching a loaded Buckeyes collection.

It's a group that features six athletes considered top-10 prospects at their respective positions. In-state standout Josh Myers is the nation's No. 1 overall offensive tackle, while fellow 5-star recruit Shaun Wade (Florida) is rated No. 3 among cornerbacks.

Wade is joined by two other coveted Sunshine State pledges in linebacker Isaiah Pryor and defensive back Marcus Williamson, listed No. 49 and No. 81, respectively, in 2017 composite rankings. Nevada defensive tackle Haskell Garrett (No. 76) and Colorado offensive lineman Jake Moretti (No. 61) further illustrate Ohio State's recruiting successes well beyond home turf. 

Credit: 247Sports

Michigan can't match the volume or value of Ohio State's class as spring approaches, but Harbaugh recently found his headliner. 

Colorado quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, who surged to the No. 1 quarterback rating in composite rankings this week, committed to the Wolverines on Feb. 15. The 5-star passer spurned offers from several universities to join Michigan's class well before his senior season at Valor Christian High School and instantly becomes a valuable asset for luring other offensive recruits to Ann Arbor.

McCaffrey completed 65 percent of pass attempts in 2015, per MaxPreps, collecting career highs with 2,800 yards through the air, 27 touchdown tosses and 13 scores on the ground. The 6'5", 220-pound playmaker is the younger brother of Stanford running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey, and the son of former Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey.

McCaffrey joins newly enrolled freshman Brandon Peters as potential pupils for Harbaugh, a former Wolverines quarterback who helped groom eventual No. 1 NFL draft pick Andrew Luck at Stanford. Peters, an Indiana native, was named a U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year finalist last fall.

JaRaymond Hall, rated the state of Michigan's top offensive lineman, is the only pledge aside from McCaffrey considered a 4-star talent or better in composite rankings. Despite its limited size, this class is already well ahead of last year, when Michigan failed to secure a single high school junior's pledge until Peters halted the drought in April.

We're still almost seven months away from when official visits begin to reshape the narrative of a recruiting cycle, and even further off from pledge-heavy All-American events. The Buckeyes and Wolverines will spend this spring and summer hosting many impact players on campus for the first time.

Ohio State is unquestionably several strides ahead of Michigan—and most of college football—on the 2017 recruiting trail, but expect a lengthy race to steadily even up as both Big Ten contenders continue to compile victories with prized prospects.

Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.