Michigan Football Recruiting

As each and every Wolverines season comes to a close, fans turn their attention to news on Michigan football recruiting. Recruiting is a vital step that helps keep a successful team like the Wolverines successful, helping them reload, restock and prepare for the future. It is often an underrated part of the whole college football process, but in reality, that graduating high school star who verbally commits to Michigan today might be the guy who scores the game-winning touchdown against the Buckeyes in a year or two. Consider the 1998 class, which included quarterback Drew Henson, wide receivers David Terrell and Marquise Walker, defensive backs Cato June and Larry Foote and kicker Hayden Epstein. That group was dubbed by The Sporting News as one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time, and with all of the on-field success they enjoyed, who can argue?

Michigan Football Recruiting 2005

So how will the 2005 Michigan football recruiting class measure up to that phenomenal 1998 squad? It's too early to say for sure, but the Wolverines have already received commitments from some of the top high school players in the country. Linebacker Brandon Graham, a 6-1, 251-pounder dubbed "arguably the best inside linebacker in the nation" by Scouts.com, has given a soft verbal commitment to the university, although he still expresses some interest in Penn State. Graham posted a 4.67 time in the 40-yard dash and a vertical jump of 28.0" in his Akron combine. Also verbally committing to the Wolverines was defensive tackle Marques Slocum, who had 78 tackles and eight sacks in eight games as a senior at West Philadelphia Catholic HS in Philadelphia, PA, and offensive lineman Justin Boren, an athletic blue-chip tackle who is projected at guard in the NCAA. They are also in the running for highly touted wide receiver Percy Harvin, defensive tackle Micah Johnson, cornerback Jai Eugene, running back Stafon Johnson and quarterback Tim Tebow. With a few more commitments, this year could certainly boast one of the finest classes in Michigan recruiting history.