New Hope for Michigan Football?

While Michigan is currently ranked 11th for recruiting class, I have been very disappointed by the quality of the players. While Rich Rodriguez has brought in many players this recruiting class, the average rating of his recruits is just 3.25. He has only been able to procure one 5-star player and six 4-stars, with the majority of recruits bring 3-stars. Additionally, he has only two players in the top 100. Compare that with Florida who has five 5-star and fourteen 4-star, Texas with five 5-stars and twelve 4-stars, or even Penn State, who has one 5-star and fourteen 4-star. A program with the history of Michigan Football deserves a better recruiting class. I cannot help, but be disappointed. It is hard to recruit when you're not winning football games though.

However, with Pete Carroll leaving for the NFL, there could be a number of recruits that may decommit and be open to making the Big House their new home. One such recruit is Dillon Baxter, one of the top running backs in the country. Baxter was very disappointed with Carroll's departure and is rethinking his future:

“It’s crazy,” said Baxter, a record-setting running back who played yesterday in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. “It’s the thing I didn’t want to do.”

Baxter said his dream was to play for Carroll at USC but there was a “hot possibility that I’ll change.” He said he was now open to talking to any university or any coach. He said his high school coach already had been flooded with calls from colleges like Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA and Arizona.

While it's not certain whether Michigan has made a move for Baxter, he was close to committing to Michigan before he committed to USC.

Another player who could emerge donning Maize and Blue is Sean Parker:

"I'm still balancing it out and checking each school out to see what each school has to offer," Parker told Rivals.com’s John Talman on Sunday. "Michigan, it's because of their academic success. When I took a trip out there, I really liked it. USC, they've always been a school with my interest. Cal, it's also because of their academic success."

With USC losing Carroll, Michigan might be able to poach him as well, considering Michigan already seems to be on the right track.

Rich Rod has a solid base recruiting class, but with these players now back up for grabs, he needs to make a push to have a truly great recruiting class. Both these players could be difference makers for the Maize and Blue, and he should not let this opportunity pass by. It's time to restore the glory of Michigan Football.