ANN ARBOR -- Jim Harbaugh says he's not hiding from the way he recruits and believes he and his coaching staff have been open and clear with their communication to prospects on the recruiting trail.

Speaking with reporters Friday afternoon after new athletic director Warde Manuel's hiring announcement, Harbaugh was asked about public scrutiny surrounding some of Michigan's recent decommitments and overall recruiting practices.

Harbaugh says his approach to recruiting is the same as his approach to the team's depth chart during the season.

It's a meritocracy.

"We're very much out there, we don't hide how we operate and with what we do," Harbaugh said. "It's a meritocracy. In everything we do in our program.

"It's going to continue to be that."

Earlier this month, four-star offensive tackle Erik Swenson -- who had been committed since 2013 -- re-opened his recruitment after claiming that Harbaugh and his staff pulled his offer with two weeks left until national signing day.

Swenson's head coach claimed that Michigan did not give the prospect any indication that he was being re-evaluated at any point during 2015, saying early January was the first time he was notified.

Three-star defensive end Rashad Weaver also decommitted recently, claiming he had "little to no contact" with Michigan's coaching staff since giving his verbal commitment in June. Weaver said Michigan gave him the option of taking a preferred walk-on spot (or a year in prep school) instead of a scholarship this month.

Asked specifically if he believes he and his coaching staff have been open and clear with the way they've communicated with recruits in relation to their recruiting philosophy, Harbaugh said "yes" he does.

"It's a meritocracy," he added. "They've got to continue to perform when there's early commitments. Both in the classroom, on the field and as a citizen in the community. That's how we're going about it.

"I don't hide from that at all and I won't. That's what we demand."

Michigan interim athletic director Jim Hackett -- who will continue to serve as AD until Manuel officially begins March 14 -- defended Harbaugh's methods Friday as well.

Hackett explained that "the stuff I've been reading, I would tell you, is not accurate." He added that "Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Hackett, Warde Manuel operate with total integrity and total transparency."

That includes recruiting, he says.

"The NCAA and the Big Ten are thinking about changing signing periods because part of what you have here is the observation that commitments are real and then we have people that don't show up for their scholarships," Hackett said. "I'm not speaking about any specific case here, but we may find out that we have (commits) who can't get into Michigan -- they haven't finished their boards or senior grades. We find out that people have been, what you would say, terminally injured so they won't pass their physical here. In some cases with those people, we've offered to pay their education -- but you can't play here.

"(Another factor) is they didn't perform. Recruiting has started so much earlier with sophomores and juniors. The nature of our program and competition is such that you've got to continue to earn your position on the team. If -- again not a specific case -- if there's somebody where that's declined, there's lots of conversations with them. Conversations like 'is there something wrong, is there something wrong at your house, is your girlfriend mad at you?' Those kind of things, because we're seeing a drop-off in performance. More of that is communicated with the high school coaches because we don't want to interfere with the student-athlete's participation."

Harbaugh also has the support from Mark Schlissel, the university's president.

Michigan's current recruiting class -- ranked No. 3 nationally by 247sports.com -- currently features 26 committed prospects.

National signing day is Feb. 3.

"We're going to bring the finest student-athletes and character that we can to the University of Michigan," "That process continues for the next three or four days."

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