Michigan Football: 3 signees who’ll have instant impact

Early signing day went well for Michigan football as the Wolverines landed some elite offensive talent and here are three recruits who will play right away.

In the weeks leading into early signing day, it was hard to know what to expect from the Michigan football program on the recruiting trail.

There were rumors about head coach Jim Harbaugh not being back for the 2021 season and when Warde Manuel, the athletic director, said he and the coach would talk about his contract after the season, and after signing day, a lot of Michigan football fans were freaking out.

But you have to give Harbaugh credit. He stayed the course and met with his commits and their parents, via Zoom, to ensure him that his plan was to be the head coach at Michigan.

And judging by the results on Wednesday, it worked.

Not everything went according to plan, mind you, as four-star linebacker Branden Jennings flipped to Maryland and four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville did the same to UCLA.

But after not signing a single top-100 talent a year ago, at least according to the 247 sports composite rankings, Michigan football landed five top-100 recruits, with four of them on offense alone.

Michigan was able to hold off Alabama with the recruitment of four-star wide receiver Xavier Worthy and also beat out Georgia, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and others for Donovan Edwards, the fourth-ranked running back nationally and No. 2 player in the state of Michigan.

Certainly, it doesn’t compare to what Ohio State did Wednesday, but if Harbaugh is going to turn it around, it will be due to McCarthy and this class.

But when we start with instant contributors next season, we start with a defender that’s getting overlooked right now.