Michigan 5-Star Recruit chooses Alabama

[Rochelobe]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2020/08/03/michigan-football-damon-payne-jermain-crowell-alabama-football/5571106002/

Bewilderment is detected in his voice. Disappointment is heard, too. Over the phone, Damon Payne Sr. recalled how the Michigan football program he has always rooted for suddenly stopped recruiting his son, the gifted five-star defensive tackle and newly minted Alabama commitment, Damon Jr.

In May, after liking a couple of tweets that took oblique shots at Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s performance, Crowell was again targeted by the keyboard mob.

According to Crowell, Harbaugh has visited the school only once when the Wolverines were in pursuit of Devontae Dobbs, the highly touted guard who ended up at Michigan State.

Given that Belleville sits roughly 18 miles from Michigan’s campus, it all seemed peculiar.

So, is this caused by the high school coach (Crowell)? Harbaugh being an idiot? Or something else? 

Of course just because it may be due to either Crowell or something else doesn't preclude Harbaugh still being an idiot.

 

[knapplc]

I just read this. I think this is largely due to Harbaugh being an idiot. 

 

[Decked]

What I heard is that he has major beef with the HC. Basically flat out said they have the best talent in the state but the coaching is poor. Created a rift in that relationship with the school & probably isn’t welcome back. 

 

[nic]

What I heard is that he has major beef with the HC. Basically flat out said they have the best talent in the state but the coaching is poor. Created a rift in that relationship with the school & probably isn’t welcome back. 

This is roughly what I heard. Since I frequent Michigan boards what I heard was that Harbaugh or others on the coaching staff made comments like the one above about the program in a meeting with players. One of the players was from Belleville and the comments got back to the HS coach. He was butt hurt and actively steers his players away from Michigan, not to mention he makes recruiting at the HS a bit adversarial. The story is told from the HS coach’s perspective, so of course he is not going to make himself look bad, and Michigan can’t talk about a recruit right now. Not sure if grades are an issue either. This recruit had Kentucky in his top group, which typically is a sign that grades might be lacking. Harbaugh/Michigan does a great job with parents. I gotta believe that they would end around the coach if their was genuine interest from the athlete.