Series of Michigan football recruiting misses leaves fans scratching their heads

During the spring, the 2024 Michigan football recruiting class had more commitments than any school in the nation, and it climbed to the top of the composite rankings, holding the No. 1 spot in the nation for the 2024 recruiting class. However, a series of costly misses has now dropped the Wolverines to 5th place, and it seems that more setbacks may be on the horizon. Just yesterday, Michigan missed out on another priority target — four-star wideout Gatlin Bair, who committed to Boise State, leaving fans wondering what went wrong with the Wolverines’ ability to close these major prospects, just as they were doing in the months prior.

Series of notable Michigan football recruiting misses has many wondering what happened during the final days of these recruitments

Michigan football recruiting was on fire during the offseason, but over the past few months, they have missed out on several top targets. The four most notable misses for the Maize and Blue include four-star edge rusher Aaron Chiles (Florida), four-star athlete Bryce West (Ohio State), four-star cornerback Aaron Scott (Ohio State), and now, four-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair (Boise State) — all prospects in the 2024 recruiting class.

The most surprising of these misses were Aaron Chiles and Gatlin Bair, as leading up to their respective commitments, it seemed like Michigan football recruiting had a solid lead in both of their recruitments. However, last-second changes turned the tables, and the Wolverines ended up missing out on both of these elite-caliber players.

But the most heartbreaking losses were Bryce West and Aaron Scott, who are the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the state of Ohio, respectively. While many considered the Buckeyes to be the frontrunners in their recruitment, it always felt like the Wolverines had a chance; in fact, Michigan football was a strong contender (top-2) for both before they ultimately opted for Ohio State when decision day arrived.

After reaching the No. 1 spot in the composite rankings, many believed that Michigan football recruiting would eventually fall back and be among the nation’s top 6-10 classes. At the time, that may have seemed pessimistic, but following this series of heart-breaking misses, it appears that those predictions may have been accurate.

At this point, Michigan’s class is starting to look complete, with only a few targets remaining for the Wolverines in the 2024 cycle. However, most of the notable Michigan football recruiting targets in the upcoming class are already committed, either to the Wolverines or elsewhere, leaving little left to be done with this class.

That being said, there are still a few remaining targets, and the 2025 recruiting class is starting to become a priority as well — right now, all eyes are fixed on five-star in-state quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the nation, who seems to be leaning towards Michigan at the moment.

There is no questioning that Michigan football recruiting is in good shape with its 2024 recruiting class right now, but this series of misses has left many wondering what more the Wolverines must do to close with some of the nation’s elite prospects in the future.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!