Top recruits on the line for Michigan, MSU Wednesday

The first month of 2015 brought a whirlwind of change to the college football landscape in Michigan. On New Year's Day, the Michigan State Spartans overcame a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to shock the No. 7 Baylor Bears and take home the Cotton Bowl title. The win gave MSU its fourth straight bowl win and berthed the program's fourth season of at least 11 wins since 2010.

Meanwhile, the attention of the football world focused firmly on Ann Arbor, as the Michigan Wolverines brought in the most sought-after coach in the country, beating out half of the NFL to land Jim Harbaugh. Since his official signing on Dec. 30, Harbaugh has been fighting to turn the tide for a program heading in the wrong direction since 2008.

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On Wednesday, both teams will put 2014 firmly in the rearview mirror and focus on one of the most important dates on the calendar: National Signing Day.

As Brady Hoke quickly learned at Michigan, winning the recruiting title doesn't automatically translate to success on the field. Hoke brought in nothing but top-10 classes during his tenure at Michigan, but the team's performance declined each year.

Now, with Harbaugh at the helm, Michigan and Michigan State figure to be two of the best-coached teams in the country. Wednesday is the greatest chance for the programs to retool and prepare their arsenals for the coming season.

Here's a look at the two in-state classes so far:

Michigan State Spartans

2015 class rank (Scout.com): No. 17
Recruits: 19 total, 9 four-stars, 10 three-stars
Highlights:
L.J. Scott -- No. 8 running back
Kyonta Stallworth -- No. 9 offensive guard
Raequan Williams -- No. 17 defensive tackle
Tyson Smith -- No. 20 cornerback
Tyriq Thompson -- No. 14 outside linebacker

Michigan Wolverines

2015 class rank: No. 57
Recruits: 9 total, 5 four-stars, 4 three-stars
Highlights:
Brian Cole -- No. 9 wide receiver
Tyree Kinnel -- No. 10 safety
Alex Malzone -- No. 14 quarterback
Zach Gentry -- No. 19 quarterback
Grant Newsome -- No. 32 offensive tackle

Some of the most impactful targets for Michigan will make their decisions on Wednesday, while MSU is still waiting on decisions from three recruits that may have interest in heading to East Lansing.

Here are some of the top remaining names to keep an eye on as National Signing Day approaches:

Potential targets -- Michigan State

Cassius Peat (No. 16 outside linebacker)
Schools interested: UCLA, Arizona State, Michigan State

Michigan State's top remaining target is Cassius Peat, a 6-foot-4 linebacker from Arizona. The Spartans are on the outside looking in for Peat, but won't know his decision for sure until Wednesday. Peat is a three-star that specializes in rushing the passer, making him a perfect fit for the Michigan State defensive scheme.

The Tempe native was committed to UCLA before decommitting on Dec. 2 with the Spartans and Arizona State Sun Devils still in play. UCLA and ASU are the frontrunners, but Michigan State still believes it can land Peat, as the coaching staff visited him at his home in late January.

Immanuel Stinson (defensive end)
Schools interested: Central Michigan, Akron, Michigan State, Western Michigan

Michigan State hasn't offered Immanuel Stinson yet, but the Spartans are still considered a potential suitor for the Romulus, Michigan native.

Stinson plays at Romulus High School and is listed at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds. The two-star has gained most of his interest from Michigan and Ohio MAC schools, but could still land at Michigan State if Mark Dantonio mounts a late push.

Mufi Hunt (No. 50 defensive end)
Schools interested: BYU, Michigan State, Washington State, Oregon State

Dantonio has made a strong bid to land Mufi Hunt, a three-star defensive end who lists at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. The Spartan coach visited Hunt at his home in Utah on Jan. 21, prompting an official visit to East Lansing just two days later.

Michigan State is battling essentially the entire West Coast for Hunt, who has 11 offers from schools west of the Mississippi River. Hunt is expected to make his decision Wednesday at 11 a.m., and the Spartans are right in the mix.

Top targets -- Michigan

Iman Marshall (No. 1 cornerback)
Schools interested: USC, Florida State, UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU

Iman Marshall is one of the biggest names left on the recruiting radar, coming in as the top cornerback in the country and the No. 7 overall player. Marshall is 6-foot-1, big for a cornerback, and specializes in man press coverage.

Marshall could be one of the best playmakers on the defensive side of the ball for Michigan, which also brought in the top-rated defender in last year's class: Jabrill Peppers. With Peppers reportedly moving to safety under Harbaugh, Marshall would give the Wolverines a dynamic young foundation on both ends of the secondary.

With the college football world eagerly awaiting his decision, Marshall is scheduled to announce his decision at 4 p.m. Wednesday. While USC is considered the favorite to land Marshall, Michigan is squarely in the running.

Chris Clark (No. 1 tight end)
Schools interested: Michigan, UCLA

When Michigan officially announced the firing of Hoke, Chris Clark quickly decommitted, expressing how close he was with the former head coach. Now, the battle for Clark is a two-horse race between Michigan and UCLA.

At 6-foot-6 with above average receiving and blocking skills, Clark is the best all-around tight end in the country. The attraction to Harbaugh is natural for a tight end hoping to play in the NFL, as the former Stanford coach sent guys like Coby Fleener to the pros and features the position prominently in his offense.

Clark's pull from UCLA comes from the chance to play with the No. 1 quarterback commit Josh Rosen, who is a hard verbal to the Bruins. If Harbaugh's intense nature, which couldn't be more different than Hoke's, is too much for Clark, he'll end up at UCLA.

Clark will announce his final decision Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Roquan Smith (No. 1 middle linebacker)
Schools interested: Michigan, Georgia, UCLA

If Roquan Smith comes to Ann Arbor, fans will be reminded of the team's best defensive player in 2014: Jake Ryan. Like Ryan, Smith is an undersized linebacker that uses his elite athletic ability and drive to cover the entire field. Though his tendency to sniff out the ball is his calling card, Smith is actually solid in coverage, a product of his size and speed.

Smith came to Michigan on Jan. 16 and said the visit went well. The Wolverines are competing with hometown favorite Georgia for Smith's services.

Smith will make his decision at 11 a.m. Wednesday.