Even if Harbaugh stays, Michigan will struggle to retain Jesse Minter
After speaking with multiple program sources, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is little to no chance of keeping Jesse Minter in Ann Arbor, even with a wage increase.
There wasn’t a single source I spoke to who expects Minter back at Michigan next year. And the consensus among them also was he’s still far from a lock to return if Harbaugh does. About the only “lock” they see is that Harbaugh will ask Minter to be his defensive coordinator with whatever pro team goes to should he get one of those jobs. Simply put, Minter is in heavy demand in the pros. Heavy! And that’s because the prevalent sentiment among coaches I talk to is that Minter is elite.
Case in point is one of the coaching opinions I respect most, that of Vance Bedford. Vance’s extensive coaching experience in college and the pros, combined with his comprehensive breakdowns of every Michigan game the last three years give him one of the most informed opinions of Minter’s coaching acumen that you’ll find. Vance was very complimentary of Minter, and he’s not quick to pass out compliments. He said Minter is “head and shoulders” above other coordinators in college football. He said Minter is “way out front… he was out front of even Nick Saban.”
Clowney is enjoying a career revival on the AFC favorite Baltimore Ravens, while Gary continues to anchor the defensive line of the upset-minded Green Bay Packers.
We built these rankings on the overall recruiting rating for each player and arranged it further with each player’s overall ranking in their respective class in mind. In case of ties, we deferred to the 247Sports Composite score.
Here are the Top247’s highest-rated recruits left in the 2024 NFL Playoffs, ranked:
As a five-star signee, Anderson surprised nobody when he made a massive impact during his freshman season. He went on to become one of the most decorated players in Alabama football history, becoming the first college football player to win the Nagurski Trophy twice and adding numerous other honors to his resume, including two unanimous All-American selections, two SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Bednarik Award, the Lott Trophy and a national championship. He went No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft and has racked up 45 tackles and 7.0 sacks this season, including one against the Browns in last week’s wild-card round.
Armstead lived up to the hype during his three-year career in Eugene. He improved every season and racked up 46 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a junior in 2014. San Francisco drafted him No. 17 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he’s been with the franchise ever since. He’s accumulated 33.5 career sacks to date, including 5.0 in 12 games this season. He’s been out since Dec. 3 due to lingering foot and knee injuries but is expected to return for the divisional round against Green Bay.
247Sports Rating: 100
Class Ranking: No. 3 Overall (2013)
College: Ole Miss
Tunsil built off SEC All-Freshman honors in 2013 and developed into one of the most dominant linemen to enter the college ranks in recent memory. He finished his collegiate career with back-to-back first-team All-SEC nods and went No. 13 overall to the Miami Dolphins in the 2016 NFL Draft. He’s made four Pro Bowls in his career and signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension with the Houston Texans before this season.
247Sports Rating: 100
Class Ranking: No. 2 Overall (2013)
College: Mississippi State
Jones is the highest-rated player to commit to Mississippi State since the start of the 2010s. He totaled 102 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks across his three-year career with the Bulldogs and was chosen in the second round, No. 37 overall, by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2016 NFL Draft. Considered one of the best defensive tackles of the modern era, Jones has been named All-Pro four times in his career and won two Super Bowls.
Stingley helped LSU win the College Football Playoff as a freshman in 2020, claiming first-team All-SEC honors along the way. He missed three games as a sophomore due to illness and injuries but still earned conference first-team honors. Injuries limited him to three games the following season, and he declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, going to No. 3 overall to Houston, tied as the highest-drafted cornerback ever. He’s looked like the future of the Texans’ secondary this year, recording five interceptions during the regular season.
The highest-rated offensive player on this list, Woods totaled 253 receptions for 2,930 yards and 32 touchdowns during a prolific three-year career in Los Angeles. He was a consensus All-American as a sophomore in 2011 when he totaled career-highs in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,292) and touchdowns (15). He went in the second round, No. 41 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, and has enjoyed a productive career, highlighted by a win in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Rams.
Gary is the highest-rated recruit to commit to Michigan in the modern recruiting era and earned two first-team All-Big Ten selections during his three seasons in Ann Arbor. The Packers picked Gary No. 12 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he’s anchored their defensive line in the five seasons since. He totaled 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during the regular season and notched a tackle in Green Bay’s win over Dallas in the wild-card round.
While injuries hindered his overall numbers at South Carolina, Clowney is still regarded as one of the most talented college football players in recent history. He put up freakish stats during his first two seasons with the Gamecocks. He garnered Heisman Trophy hype heading into his junior season but struggled to overcome injuries and double-teams by offensive linemen. He ended his college career with 47 tackles for loss and 24 sacks as a two-time first-team All-American. He went No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and has enjoyed a career revival on the Ravens this season, totaling 9.5 sacks (most since 2017).
