The Michigan football team is currently stuck in the first regular-season losing streak of the Brady Hoke era.

But even still, big news could be ahead this week on the recruiting trail.

Five-star defensive end Da'Shawn Hand (Woodbridge, Va.), Rivals.com's No. 1 player in America, will choose between Michigan, Alabama and Florida at noon Thursday. His decision will be aired on "SportsDash with Yahoo! Sports" NBC Sports Network.

Michigan has been said to be in strong position with Hand for months now, but given the Wolverines' recent struggles on the field, will that alter his perception of the school on the eve of his decision?

Speaking with TheWolverine.com's Tim Sullivan, Rivals.com senior recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said any in-season positives or negatives won't sway Hand one way or another.

It's always been about academics. And, according to Farrell, that's not likely to change.

"I'm getting a lot of questions about Michigan not playing well, Alabama's obviously playing well," Farrell said. "None of that is really going to be a big factor for Da'Shawn Hand. It's going to come down to sports management and marketing or civil engineering.

"I know he could do engineering at Michigan, but it's all about the presentation. And I think Michigan made the best presentation."

The talk about Hand putting a high emphasis on academics appears to be valid, as he dropped Virginia Tech -- who was long considered the leader for his services -- in the summer because the school does not have a sports marketing program.

Michigan, of course, does. And Hand reportedly loved the presentation he received from the department on a visit over the summer.

If Michigan lands Hand on Thursday, it'll mark the first time in Rivals.com's history that one program has landed a commitment from the No. 1 and No. 2 overall player in any given class. Michigan already has a commitment from No. 2-ranked five-star corner Jabrill Peppers.

-- Download the Michigan football on MLive app for iPhone and Android

-- Download the Michigan basketball on MLive app for iPhone and Android

-- Follow Nick Baumgardner on Twitter

-- Like MLive's Michigan Wolverines Facebook