If you swapped the location of Michigan and Georgia -- the recruiting swaps with it. It'd be Michigan with the stacked classes. It'd be Georgia with the occasional 5 star recruit.
It is why you see coaches bounce from job to job to get to one of those select few jobs. Only reason Harbaugh has stayed at UM is because he grew up in Ann Arbor, played football at UM. He'd be gone if he didn't have all those connections and want his kids to grow up in Ann Arbor.
And what helps recruiting more than anything -- having the elite recruits in your own backyard, because with social media and national football camps -- those kids become recruiters for the school. It is why schools try to get early commitments, it is why they try to get a big time QB committed early.
As far as Kirby/Harbaugh -- if you give them the exact same rosters. I'd take Harbaugh without hesitation. If it is a choice between Kirby and Harbaugh with the enormous difference in recruiting -- yeah, I'd take Kirby too.