Leaders of Michigan's 2021 recruiting class promised a natty... and delivered

The date was Dec. 16, 2020. Michigan was coming off a 2-4 record and appeared nowhere near national championship contention.

But there was hope.

As National Signing Day came to a close, Top 100 quarterback JJ McCarthy wrapped up his ceremony with a FaceTime call with head coach Jim Harbaugh, who sounded absolutely ecstatic about his future signal-caller. McCarthy was different. There was just something about him that, to this day, is indescribable.

McCarthy certainly has a magnetic personality. But it goes beyond that. The dude oozes confidence and optimism.

“There’s national championships coming,” McCarthy said. “That’s the future.”

It would have been easy to dismiss McCarthy given the way the Wolverines looked on the field that year. But you could tell he really believed in his message.

Hours before McCarthy’s ceremony, fellow Top 100 prospect Donovan Edwards rolled up to West Bloomfield High School with a flashy white coat and music blasting from his car. Edwards was fashionably late, but all was forgiven when you saw his smile and heard his deep, grizzly voice.

Edwards was one of the most exciting high school running backs the state of Michigan had ever seen and had the personality to match. Some thought Edwards would end up at Ohio State earlier in the process, but Michigan was always No. 1 in his heart. So it came as no surprise when Edwards picked up a blue Michigan hat and put it on his head — he was officially a Wolverine.

“I felt like it was the best fit for me,” Edwards said. “With the players we have coming in, I feel like we’re going to turn it around.”

McCarthy recruited Edwards hard throughout the process. He believed in the message. So did Top 100 linebacker Junior Colson.

Right before Colson made his commitment public in May, he posed for a photo with his chunky tortoiseshell cat, Jersey.

“The Haitian King is going to Michigan,” he said. “We’ll win it all one day, you watch.”

Unlike McCarthy and Edwards, Colson didn’t grow up in the Midwest. He was born in Haiti and eventually adopted by Nashville residents Melanie and Steve Colson following a tragic earthquake in his home country. Junior had barely heard of football before arriving in the United States, but as soon as he put on the pads, he knew he was destined for greatness.

Melanie was a diehard Michigan football fan. She even drove Junior from Nashville to Ann Arbor for a camp, where he was first noticed by Harbaugh and his staff. Through Melanie, Junior developed his own love for Michigan. After committing to the Wolverines, Junior took on a leadership role and was one of U-M’s most vocal leaders on the defensive side of the ball.

Three year later, McCarthy, Edwards and Colson, the three highest rated commits in the class, delivered on their promise, leading Michigan to a win over Washington in the national title game.

McCarthy didn’t have his biggest statistical night, but his leadership and love of the team shined through. He also made key plays when they mattered most. McCarthy never cared for individual accolades. He just wanted to win. His 27-1 record as a starter is proof of that.

On the flip side of the coin, Edwards had two of the longest runs in College Football Playoff history and was behind a Cane’s register the following morning. The guy is larger than life both on and off the field.

Then you have Colson. Michigan’s leading tackler toughed out the playoff run with multiple hand injuries and was all over the field on Monday night. From Haiti to hero, Colson has one of the most incredible stories in all of college football.

McCarthy, Edwards and Colson were special to cover on the recruiting trail in their own unique ways. Together, they formed an unbreakable bond that saw them buy in, work hard and bring a different mentality to Ann Arbor.

Here’s to three kids — now national champions — unlike any we’ll ever see again.