Did Michigan's class benefit from those summer satellite camps?

Graham Watson

It was less than a year ago that the Power Five conferences were in an uproar about satellite camps.

Newly named Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had announced a bold strategy that included either hosting or attending nine football camps in seven different states throughout the month of June. These were not recruiting camps per se, but a chance for Michigan football coaches to work with players around the country while scouting talent.

This did not sit well with some of Harbaugh’s peers, who felt like he was unfairly infringing on their recruiting territory, and ultimately prompted the NCAA to consider banning satellite camps for good.

But did Michigan’s presence at satellite camps even matter?

Sure, the Wolverines locked up some of the nation’s best recruits, including the No. 1 overall recruit, and finished with what will likely be a top five class, but Rivals recruiting analyst Mike Farrell doesn’t think the satellite camps had anything to do with Michigan’s recruiting success.

“I honestly think (satellite camps were) a bit overrated and a lot was made out of them for no reason,” Farrell told Yahoo Sports. “Yes it helps some schools get eyeballs on them from kids in different regions, but the camps themselves aren't loaded with talent, there are some elite guys and a bunch of players on that second level. Michigan is obviously the program that promoted them the most and Jim Harbaugh became the target of many, but I don't think it impacted their class that much.”

Farrell said of the 29 players committed to Michigan, only four came out of those camps and only three — RB Kingston Davis, DE Michael Dwumfour, ATH Chris Evans — actually signed. LB Dytarious Johnson did not sign Wednesday because of issues related to academics, but the Wolverines have kept a scholarship open for him.

However, none of those players were rated higher than a three-star recruit. Among the Wolverines 28 signees, 15 of them were four-stars and one was a five-stars.

“I honestly don't think the camps were any sort of deciding factor (for the players that did commit),” Farrell said. “And these aren't big time guys, lower range players in their class. The big dogs in this class to my knowledge weren't satellite camp kids.”

So while Alabama coach Nick Saban called the camps “ridiculous” and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen called them “recruiting camps,” Michigan’s “Football Summer Swarm Tour,” as they called it, didn’t make much of a difference in the grand scheme of its recruiting this year.

Michigan is a national brand and it’s never had trouble attracting players from all over the country. This year’s class features players from 13 different states. In 2014, when Brady Hoke was the coach, players came from nine different states.

But having that national diversity hasn’t stopped Harbaugh from continuing to promote Michigan as a national brand.

Shortly after the Wolverines hosted a National Signing Day extravaganza on campus, Harbaugh announced that the first week of his spring camp would be held in Florida while the rest of the university was on spring break.

And Harbaugh’s probably not done with satellite camps either. Until the NCAA officially outlaws them — and that could come any time — Harbaugh is going to keep pushing Michigan’s brand into as many states as he can.

For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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