Michigan Spurned By Two Key Players And 'Little Brother' On National Signing Day

(97.1 The Ticket) Michigan has lost the best player in its 2018 recruiting class.

Otis Reese, a four-star outside linebacker and the No. 87-ranked player in the country, flipped his commitment to Georgia on Wednesday, national signing day. He originally committed to Michigan in June 2016.

Reese is from Georgia, and the Bulldogs began pursuing him aggressively in December. It was then that Reese decided not to sign with Michigan during the early-signing period.

The Wolverines tried hard to keep Reese in the fold, including hosting him the weekend of Jan. 19. But Reese visited Georgia the following weekend and was apparently sold. A last-minute visit from Jim Harbaugh and Michigan assistant coach Chris Partridge wasn't enough to convince Reese otherwise.

It's been a disappointing national signing day for Michigan.

In a karmic twist for Harbaugh and Co., they lost out on top-ranked tackle and No. 7-ranked player overall, Nicholas Petit-Frere, whose name in French translates to "Little Brother." He bolted for rival Ohio State.

A year after assembling the fifth-best recruiting class in the country, Michigan's 2018 class ranks 19th, according to 247 Sports. The Wolverines don't have a single five-star commit.

Georgia currently has the nation's best recruiting class, with Ohio State close on their heels. Texas, Miami and Penn State round out the top five.