Michigan and Ohio State Recruiting: The Kyle Kalis Effect

If you hadn't heard the name Kyle Kalis before today, you probably have by now. The 5Q Top 100 No. 24 overall player and No. 6 offensive tackle in the 2012 class did the unthinkable to Buckeye fans this weekend and committed to the Michigan Wolverines while on a visit to Ann Arbor.

Kyle Kalis decommitted in June and had since visited Michigan once before he committed on Sunday. When word leaked out that Kalis would be returning with his family, reality began to set in for Michigan and Ohio State fans alike. For Buckeye fans, the harsh reality of the first major recruiting casualty since "TattooGate," and for Wolverine fans, a huge victory over their bitter rivals and new hope that the momentum had turned their way.

But what does this commitment really mean for each team?

For Ohio State, the fear is that this is the first of many big-time recruits that they will lose because of looming sanctions and wrongdoing in Columbus. Bri'onte Dunn was rumored to be wavering even before Kalis, but he is still clinging to his commitment to the Scarlett and Gray at the moment. A week ago, it looked like he was leaning heavily towards sticking with the Buckeyes after a visit filled with reassurance from new Head Coach Luke Fickell.

With the Kalis commitment and the realization of just how little Fickell can truthfully assure Dunn regarding the future of the program, the tide seems to be swinging back towards Michigan or, at the very least, towards Dunn seriously considering decommitting again. I have heard that Dunn may take another trip up to Ann Arbor at the end of the month for the "BBQ at the Big House," which has been a great recruiting tool stemming back to the Rich Rodriguez Era. That talk is unsubstantiated as of right now, but Kalis will likely attend and I wouldn't be surprised if Dunn ends up following suit.

Momentum is just as important in recruiting as it is in the game of football itself, and clearly, the Wolverines have it right now. Some pundits such as MaxPreps.com have Michigan ranked as the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for 2012. I have them at No. 3, but its a little to early for that type of ranking to be accurate in my opinion. In any case, Michigan's name is out there and recruits from coast to coast are hearing about it.

That momentum has been continued today with the Kalis recruitment making national news. That news essentially boils down to "Michigan takes top recruit from Ohio State." You do the math on which team that is good for.

ESPN's Joe Schad reported on the Kalis commitment yesterday and quotes abounded from Kalis that are grabbing headlines.

“I believe the Michigan-Ohio border is now open. I think you're going to see eight or nine guys from the state of Ohio going over to Michigan this year.”

Statements like that echo loudly throughout the state of Ohio, and guys like Adolphus Washington, Dwayne Stanford and Bri'onte Dunn are hearing them.

It's not all bad for OSU. They still have tremendous resources, a huge fanbase and great tradition. Instead of getting the pick of top recruits going forward, they will have to battle a little harder, but there are still plenty of kids in Ohio that dream of being a Buckeye.

The cloud of uncertainty hurts them more than anything at this point. Nobody knows who the head coach will be next year or what the sanctions will be, and those looming questions were enough to steer Kalis to the Maize and Blue. They were enough to send Greg McMullen and Kyle Dodson to Nebraska and Wisconsin, respectively, and they will likely steer several other top Ohio recruits abroad before it is all said and done.

For a list of all of Michigan's Recruits in and outside of Ohio click here.

Check out my website, www.5thQuartersports.com, which features this story along with other articles and reports on college and other major sports. You can also follow me on Twitter for real-time updates on recruiting and other breaking news, @5thQuarterMatt.