2023 five-star Nyckoles Harbor commits to South Carolina over Michigan

Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines had one last huge target remaining in the 2023 class. Alas, it was just another swing and miss at the end of the day in what has become a tiresome and grueling recruiting cycle.

Announced on National Signing Day, 2023 five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor made it official and committed to South Carolina. He chose the Gamecocks over Michigan, Maryland, Oregon and Miami.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder from Archbishop Carroll in Washington D.C. officially visited Michigan for its victory over Maryland back in September. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, that was the only time he was able to make it to Ann Arbor due to taking visits to other schools, as well as his demanding track schedule that always seemed to take up time.

Harbor has aspirations of being an Olympic track athlete — and with his elite speed at his size, I don’t blame him — so it makes sense for him to go to a school like South Carolina where he has strong relationships within the track program. It also helps he’ll be able to play offense at South Carolina, whereas other programs wanted him to play defense, like Michigan, albeit the Wolverines changed their pitch to stay in the recruitment.

The 2023 recruiting cycle has been one with plenty of twists and turns — mostly bad ones like decommitments from five-star linebacker Raylen Wilson (Georgia) and four-star edge Collins Acheampong (Miami) — but Harbaugh and the Wolverines can now turn their sole attention to the 2024 class and beyond.

With a handful of commitments already, the foundation has been laid for a much more regarded class this year.