Into The Blue: How Michigan can win over Top 100 WR Gatlin Bair, the fastest recruit in America

One of the most fascinating recruits making his way to Michigan this weekend is Top 100 Burley (Idaho) High wide receiver Gatlin Bair, the No. 40 overall prospect nationally.

Bair has world class speed as evidenced by his outrageous 10.15 100-meter time as a true freshman. The dude is an absolute freak show but in the same mold as last cycle’s wonder boy, Nyckoles Harbor. Remember, Harbor was lightning fast but very much a project on the football field.

That’s not Bair. He’s not built like an action figure. He’s built like a wide receiver. And he plays like one, too.

“A lot of people try to compare him to compare him to big, strong, fast guys,” said Burley head coach Cameron Anderson. “But he made his mark before the 10.15. He’s a great technician of running routes. He’s really good in and out of breaks. He’s really good with the ball in air. He has a knack to go find it. He does a really good job of tracking and finding space to track and go get it. I’ve heard that element the most consistently from coaches in DI programs.

“They say ‘man, we saw 10.15, so maybe he’s a Nyck Harbor-type’ and then they put on the film and they’re like ‘holy crap, this dude is a wide receiver.’ The speed gets them in the door. His ability to play wide receiver makes him one of the best in the nation.”

Bair has attracted interest from all the big dogs in college football. However, his focus seems to be narrowing. Nebraska made a big impression on him early and is still hanging around despite not receiving a June official visit. Oregon and TCU both had him on campus for OVs over the last few weeks. Boise State, the local program, has been a consistent player.

Michigan will get its shot to wow him on his official visit this weekend. If the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is to be believed, the Wolverines only have a 2.8 percent chance of landing the talented speed demon. That should change this weekend. Michigan is more than capable of making a huge surge during Bair’s first-ever trip to Ann Arbor.

“He went on a radio station about a month ago and flat out said ‘it’s going to be one of these schools and Boise (State) in my Top 2.’ Michigan has done a great job of not trying to be Boise State. You look at every other major recruit in Idaho, and they’ve gone other places. But (Boise State head coach) Andy Avalos has done a great job of showing Gatlin what he could mean to the state forever. He could change the game for the whole state of Idaho — recruiting and the way it’s viewed. There is that part. Michigan has done the best job of not trying to replicate that at all.

“They just came in and showed Gatlin a path of ‘if you want to develop, if you want to play in a system that needs you and your abilities, we will do it.’ The schools that are able to establish to Gatlin ‘we are structured so that you can succeed’ are going to have the best chance. Gatlin needs to come away knowing ‘all the pieces are in place, so I can go out and do what I do — ball out, train like crazy and be what I can be off the field.’ If Michigan can display that’s who they are, it gives him a level of comfortability of saying ‘if I choose Michigan, all I have to do is what’s in my control and probably be a first round draft pick.’”

Michigan won a big battle in the state of Idaho a two cycles ago when it reeled in four-star tight end Colston Loveland, who became a starter as a true freshman last season.

Loveland’s high school head coach at Gooding (Idaho) High was none other than Anderson. Now, Anderson is the head coach at Burley, where he’s been working closely with Bair. Needless to say, the Anderson-Bair-Loveland connection has been played up for the majority of the cycle.

But how much will it actually help Michigan?

“A lot less than people think,” Anderson said. “I was on the phone with two DI head coaches yesterday, and it didn’t take long to get the question ‘do you think the fact that Colston is at Michigan is impacting Gatlin’s recruiting from your perspective?’ I’ve been very neutral. Gatlin and Colston are very different creatures. They know each other. They’ve talked to each other multiple times. But they weren’t close buddies in Idaho that hung out. In the beginning, they were rivals that played against each other. This is the point that matters as it relates to Colston…

“You saw Colston when he walked to campus the first time. You’ve probably seen Colston recently. He is a monster. In one year, Michigan has done that to his body. They’ve put him on a course to be a high draft pick after his junior season. The fact that Gatlin knew Colston when he was a freshman and saw him when he went to Michigan and has seen the way he’s developed with his own eyes, it’s a certainty. The more certainties Michigan can show Gatlin, the more their chances are going to increase. That’s probably the biggest advantage of the Colston-Gatlin relationship. He has evidence that Michigan will do the things they say they’re going to do.”

Development may very well be the most important part of Bair’s official visit.

Bair’s father, Brad, works in the dairy industry but has been training his son since he was five years old. In fact, Brad is the strength and conditioning coach at Burley in his free time and is in the process of earning his doctorate’s in the field. Both Brad and his wife, Shae, were track athletes at Utah State.

Gatlin is obviously a star on the football field and track. When it comes to the weight room, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder squats more than 400 pounds and deadlifts around 550 pounds. Like his father, Gatlin has a passion for strength and conditioning as well as nutrition. It’s what he wants to go into after football is over.

No official visit weekend at Michigan goes by without recruits mentioning Michigan strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert or lead nutritionist Abigail O’Connor. Both are arguably the best at what they do in all of college football. And that will be on full display for the Bair family this weekend.

“I can tell you there will be a substantial amount of time on this visit, where Brad, Gatlin and the whole family has exclusive and copious amount of time with the strength and conditioning coach and nutrition program,” Anderson said. “When you meet this kid, he’s like a 23-year-old 17-year-old. He’s about business. He’s not like other kids. He has a crazy knowledge of strength, conditioning and nutrition. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to be a kinesiology major who is going to open a training facility when he’s done. I’ve talked to Michigan, and a massive piece is going to be getting him with the key pieces that he really cares about.”

But what about faith?

Bair is set to go on a two-year LDS mission upon graduation, technically making him a 2026 recruit. Michigan, of course, just landed offensive lineman Andrew Gentry following his two-year mission in Utah. Gentry may very well be involved in Bair’s visit this weekend. But it actually won’t be a focal point.

“His brothers are going to Mississippi State and Arkansas, and there are probably zero LDS people around there,” Anderson said. “One of the things about his mission is having the capacity to be away and be around people that aren’t of his faith. Gatlin is fully aware of Gentry. They even asked me if Gentry should take him around on the visit, and I said ‘no.’ Gatlin knows who he is. If he’s from the same faith, he knows that’s the point. It doesn’t matter that there is an LDS guy there or 50 like BYU has. If that was really important, he would have just gone to BYU or Utah. It’s more about ‘is the program aligned with similar values that I honor, respect and cherish in my everyday life?’

“That’s one of the things Michigan has done a good job of. They’ve mentioned Andrew Gentry. But more importantly, it’s not going to be weird for Gatlin to be at Michigan because they recruit guys with the same mindset. They don’t recruit guys that aren’t their type of guys. It doesn’t matter if you’re Jim Harbaugh and catholic. He’s devout, lives a certain way and treats people a certain way — like Jesus Christ would. For Gatlin, it’s that similar motif.”

Anderson is exactly right.

Towards the end of his mission, Gentry stood in apartment parking lot after sharing scripture with a local family. He handed me a copy of The Book of Mormon with a personalized message and said he felt compelled to go to Michigan to share more personalized messages and broaden his horizons rather than following his older brother to BYU. If Bair is anything like Gentry, he’ll make the best decision for himself and his future.

Faith won’t be a factor. Football will.

According to The Fort member WesternWolverine, the legendary Bo Schembechler once asked future NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley ‘are you a track guy playing football or are you a football guy who happens to run track?’

Bair grew up in a track family, but his answer would more than likely be the latter. The same couldn’t be said for the aforementioned Harbor, who spent most of last cycle talking about his Olympic dreams. Track hasn’t really been discussed with Bair nor has there really been a need to discuss it.

Bair racked up more than 1,000 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns last season. He can be exactly what Xavier Worthy was supposed to be at Michigan. The last couple of cycles have came and went without a true replace for the former Top 100 recruit. Bair is finally that guy.

“As a player, he’s a missing part of what they do,” Anderson said. “Gatlin doesn’t care as much if it’s run-first or pass-first offense. If you run a 10.15, you’re probably going to get targeted. He has an understanding of that. If you’re not running the ball consistently, it’s easier to take a guy running a 10.15 out of the game. One of the things they’ve really demonstrated is he’ll be playing next to a guy like Colston at tight end. If there is a guy taking the top off, then Colston or whoever that tight end is — it’s Michigan, they’re going to continue to bring in great tight ends — has to be defended by linebackers. The better the guy is next to him and the more they are able to run the ball, the more they won’t be able to double him, so his shot plays will be big. Within the offense, he’s the guy that takes the top off, but he’s also a guy they can use in play action, where it’s more route precise. He’s a great fit as far as that goes.”

Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy has a full film breakdown ready to go and will show Bair exactly how he can make an immediate impact in U-M’s offense. Bellamy also happens to be a great relationship builder and will certainly move the needle with Bair and his family.

Bellamy will also get an assist from fellow assistant Jay Harbaugh, a master of recruiting obscure states, and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Both can be X-factors when it comes to winning over Bair.

“(Jay) is just real, man,” Anderson said. “I’ve put out that he’s the best recruiter, and of course, Ohio State fans will come after it (laughs). When he sits down at the table and talks to you, there is no fluff. He’s not trying to win you over. He’s just being who he is. Really smart people get it, respect it and love it. When he gets on the phone with Gatlin’s dad, his dad will hang up and say ‘my gosh, that guy is just good.’ Going through this process, I’ve met so many coaches and recruiters. I could honestly say Jay Harbaugh is in the Top 2 or 3 in the nation. I would put him at No. 1. I think he’s on the path to be the head coach at that program or another one.

“People in isolated areas are used to dealing with people that talk and act a certain way and are just who they are without caring what anybody else says, and that’s who (Jay) is. He reminds me so much of John (Harbaugh) in his mannerisms and the way they talk. I have a ton of respect for him. He’s perfect for guys in rural areas. I’m excited for all of them (Bair’s family) to meet Jim. I’ve told them some really good stories. I love Jim for the same thing. He is who he is. The dude wears khakis because he doesn’t give a shit. It’s just so respectable to see guys that aren’t trying to sell something in this business. So many guys are trying to sell stuff. Those guys aren’t.”

Bair will make an unofficial visit to Boise State after his Michigan OV and is looking to release a final list before making his decision before the start of his senior season.

Whether or not Michigan can win this race will largely depend on how things play out in Ann Arbor this weekend.

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