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Posted on Mon, May 7, 2012 : 1:09 p.m.

Michigan football's 2013 recruiting class ranked No. 1 in country by Scout

By Kyle Meinke

The Michigan football team kicked off its 2013 recruiting class by securing a commitment from blue-chip quarterback Shane Morris on May 10, 2011.

Three days shy of a year later, the class is the best in the country according to Scout.

Happy anniversary.

The Wolverines are the first team other than Texas to earn the top spot in Scout's initial team rankings. They were followed this year by the Longhorns, with Texas A&M, Ohio State and Notre Dame rounding out the top five.

Other Big Ten teams to make the top 20 include Penn State (12th), Nebraska (17th) and Michigan State (20th).

But the Wolverines clearly are the cream of the crop at this early point.

Their class has grown to 17 commits, the most in the country. Morris, ranked among the top five quarterbacks according to each of the major services, remains the headliner. He's No. 3 according to Scout.

The strength of the class, though, is the guys charged with protecting him.

Patrick Kugler is considered by Scout as the No. 1 guard in the country. Another guard, David Dawson, is No. 1 in the country according to ESPN.

Guard Chris Fox and tackles Logan Tuley-Tillman and Kyle Bosch round out a five-man group that is currently the best in the nation.

The overall class has a distinct Midwestern flavor, with eight commits hailing from Ohio and another five from Michigan. Of the four remaining commits, only Fox (Parker, Colo.) resides outside of Big Ten country.

Michigan averages 4.06 stars per recruit according to Scout, the best in the Big Ten.

It has room for about six or seven more players in its 2013 class.

National signing day is Feb. 6.

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.

Comments

OldBittyBates

Mon, May 14, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.

Michigan is looking good! Recruiting is through the roof (An all time high). Even so, other schools like USC have an edge due to superior climate (weather). Can the Wolverines find a way to continue this hot streak? Brady Hoke will need to stay focused along with his trusted staff. We should do well the next 2 or 3 years.

osubetterthanu

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 8:25 p.m.

Ummmmmm.... we would definitely take Urban over Brady Hoke. I am a Brady Hoke fan but trust me, we are happy to have the best coach in college football at TOSU! Go Bucks!!

Billy Bob Schwartz

Mon, May 21, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.

UMeyer also seems to attract non-playing challenges (like a bunch of convicts on his team). I hope he can fit into the usual high standards of Big Ten coaching. He needs to take a strong stand on behavioral stuff. I also agree that the pressure is a danger to him. Hope he can survive Michigan-ohio.

Hailmary

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.

osu, urban is not the best coach in college football. urban is a good coach that has issues when he's under pressure by his own admittance. ohio is going to have to handle uban with kid gloves so that pressure does not get to urban. That is a quote from your own AD. urban has a good win loss record but in terms of a stable all around solid coach that I feel can handle the emotional pressure, I'll take Brady Hoke any day, sorry !

Hailmary

Tue, May 8, 2012 : 8:08 p.m.

2013 is not that far away. In my opinion, this is all part of the game, the potential recruits, watching the rest of the big ten looking at us like deer caught in headlights and listening to all the sarcasm pointed at us more often now because teams like michigan state and ohio know that Mich. is back, in a big way. It may even take one more year but it's going to happen and in this Mich. fans opinion it's just a matter of time. Funny thing, I don't hear state fans or ohio fans cheering on dantonio or myers the way Mich. fans already love and respect Brady and staff.

Justine Robinson

Tue, May 8, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.

I am so excited and proud to part of the class of 2013(the year I am graduating high school) and hope this class will have a profound impact on the field and off it. GO BLUE!!!!

azwolverine

Tue, May 8, 2012 : 1:13 a.m.

I'm as big a fan as they come, but this is like a preseason ranking. Let's hope we keep all of these guys for signing day, and get a few more along the way. With our coaching staff, if all of these guys end up here, I'm sure they'll all be outstanding players.

riverraisin

Tue, May 8, 2012 : 12:32 a.m.

THERE'S your threat, Sparty.... Now go change your Depends!

RWBill

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 10:58 p.m.

Stunning

Jeremy

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 10:05 p.m.

Just as long as we STAY ahead of Ohio and Sparty in everything related to football, including recruiting.

umgoblue47

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 9:07 p.m.

did we MICHIGAN fans expect anything less. . . i don't think so!! this class is a monster class and i hope TY ISAAC is watching. come on TY and GO BLUE great things will happen for you as a MICHIGAN WOLVERINE, plus as a bonus a great education!! great job coach HOKE and staff!! GO BLUE!!!!!!

Terry Star21

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 8:34 p.m.

This is great news, expected all along and welcomed. True, #1 recruiting classes don't relate to #1 teams - unless you have the best coaches in the nation; We Do ! Michigan is again setting the lead, setting the base for top caliber teams for decades to come - "We're the Threat" ! MgoBlueForTiM.....greatest time to be a Michigan Football Faithful...

beuwolf

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.

I'm happy for UM, but isn't this like being ranked no. 1 at the beginning of the season, with the final poll not coming out until February, 2013 (National Letter of Intent Signing Day)?

Robert Granville

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 8:41 p.m.

No. The recruiting process is accelerating. If you're going to compare the football season to the offseason, I would compare the number of commits who sign the LOI to each game in a season. Michigan has 17 commitments and unless you disagree with the recruiting services about their potential at least 15 out of the 17 commits are "wins" for the team. Maybe you're expecting a ton of decommitments. I don't. Regardless, this isn't comparable to being ranked #1 at the start of a season. More like at the halfway mark or slightly beyond it in Michigan's case.... but without development on the coaching end it all means nothing.

81wolverine

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 7:58 p.m.

Although #1 ranked recruiting classes don't win national championships by themselves, they certainly don't hurt. Their ultimate success will depend on how good of a job our coaches do in developing these players and getting their best efforts on the field. I'm confident they'll do that. But the key in Michigan finishing #1 in recruiting this year will be to get a number of the really top players left on their wish list.

Terry Star21

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 8:25 p.m.

81.....hit it right on the nose, good thing is, we have the coaches to turn recruiting classes into championship players...."We're the Threat"....

G-Man

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 7:47 p.m.

Good thing they are getting good players! Too bad only the 1% can afford the tickets! Well, the Volt owners probably save enough that they can buy a ticket.......... Do me a favor... BEAT MSU...????!!!!!!!.....

David Paris

Wed, May 9, 2012 : 1:37 p.m.

"the Volt owners..." Are you trying to talk me into buying a Volt, because that's pretty good incentive?!?

Terry Star21

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.

Michigan will crush msu.....we've been listening to their thugs, their frustrated coach and their uneducated complainers - Michigan; Here's the Threat !

Calvert T. Hoskins I

Mon, May 7, 2012 : 6:16 p.m.

Michigan is setting themselves up for years of dominance not just in the BIG1 but also nationally just like the old days!! MGOBLUE!!