What a signing: Michigan Wolverines has made super an excellent trade….

Several current Wolverines who are critical to the team’s success were not high-profile recruits, yet the Wolverines are the No. 1 team in the USA, back-to-back Big Ten champions, and College Football Playoff participants.

Don’t let anyone convince you that stars don’t matter – they do. But so do highly driven, culture-building three stars, and Michigan has several of them who are part of the fabric that has transformed the Wolverines into a serious contender.

According to 247 Sports, Michigan’s 2024 class is currently ranked 19th in the country. That seems a little low given Michigan’s recent success, but the class features a solid mix of what makes Michigan so good right now – some highly ranked stars, some middle of the pack, versatile players, and some lesser rated potential gems. With the 2023 Early Signing Period in the books and some Michigan fans concerned about the 2024 class, let’s take a look at six under-the-radar recruits that have helped the Wolverines remain the nation’s top team. Four of them are true Michigan men and captain material, one is a rising young star, and another is a veteran.

It’s crazy to consider “The Mutant” a three-star prospect across all platforms. Experts said there were 486 players better than Jenkins coming out of high school. That’s insane. Jenkins is become an absolute beast and one of Michigan’s most significant defensive players. He’s adaptable, forceful, athletic, and unyielding. He doesn’t put up big numbers, but as an interior defensive lineman, he’s as good as it gets.

Surprisingly, ESPN, which gives the least amount of recruiting coverage, was the only source to award Sainristil a four-star rating. Mikey was seen as a high school prospect as an athlete who could play on both sides of the ball, which can sometimes harm a prospect’s ranking. That road was certainly followed by the former receiver at Michigan, but he has evolved into one of the best nickel corners in the country. He’s a two-time captain, a ball hawk with amazing talents, and an off-field champion who would improve any squad or locker room. He’s a future pro who was clearly underappreciated as a high school player.

Moore continued the trend, as he was rated a four-star prospect by both On3 and 247Sports, but he was definitely not a blue chipper with 40+ offers. Michigan sensed something special in Moore, and it has paid out handsomely. The native of Ohio recognized the rivalry with Ohio State and made the game-winning interception against the Buckeyes in November. He, like Sainristil, always seems to be in the right place at the right time and has natural talent for creating plays on the ball and tackling players in the open field. It’s difficult to determine who is more vital to Michigan’s secondary, he or Sainristil.

Barrett found his home as a versatile, sideline-to-sideline linebacker for the Wolverines after moving positions multiple times as a dual-threat high school quarterback. Since arriving at Michigan, he has only won more games than any other player to ever wear the winged helmet. Barrett will achieve a historic achievement if he and Michigan beat Alabama on January 1. For the time being, he is captain of the No. 1 squad in the country and the most experienced player on a very experienced team.

Michigan’s wide receiver room was in good shape heading into the 2023 season. With Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson already established, Tyler Morris emerging as a possible slot player, and lab-built receiver Darrius Clemons poised to make some big plays, incoming freshman Semaj Morgan was not expected to see much action. Morgan, on the other hand, would not be denied. He didn’t end up getting many snaps, but he did a lot when he was on the field. He concluded the season with just 20 touches (17 receptions, 3 rushes), but he scored four times and nearly blocked a punt in the Big Ten championship game. Morgan wasn’t a tremendous recruit at 5-9, 185 pounds, but he’s proven that he can play.