Sherrone Moore’s $12 million investment is already paying off! Nobody expected that Michigan would be landing the top overall prospect of the 2025 class. But Bryce Underwood’s ultimate decision changed the future prognosis for the Wolverines under Moore’s leadership. Now that Michigan has a dynamic QB, the most important position to address is at WR. They’re already in connection with multiple WRs in the portal. But this particular new interest even has the No. 1 QB holding the recruiting reins.

On January 6, visualsbyralb posted an update on Joey O’Brien. The post announced that the 4-star WR has narrowed his decision down to 11 schools. O’Brien is “currently ranked as the #1 player in PA and the #49 player Nationally.” One surprise comment caught many people’s attention that came from none other than Bryce Underwood himself. Hitting the comments section, he wrote, “bro, I’m sitting here like? Top what?😂😂😂 GO BLUE”

A La Salle HS standout in PA, Joey O’Brien already has offers from several programs, including powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, among others. But Michigan’s offer is valuable, and Bryce Underwood is a huge reason behind it. The 17-year-old Michigan native seems confident enough in his comment. Who knows the chemistry that the formidable QB might have with the 6’4 HS football player? 

In his junior season, Joey O’Brien compiled 1,029 receiving yards, 12 receiving TDs on 68 catches, as well as one passing score. But wait, he’s not just an offensive player. The ATH is also a star defensive player who put together 36 total tackles (32 solo), 3 PBU’s, and one interception this past season. He was honored with PCL MVP honors with first-team selections on both sides of the football. Still, we’ll have to wait for next year to see O’Brien in action, as he’s a 2026 prospect. He also mentioned that he’ll announce his decision over the summer. That leaves us with the 2025 WR prospects.

Michigan’s hunt for WRs to support Bryce Underwood 

Almost everything is about WRs with Michigan at the moment. With hidden gems entering the transfer portal, Sherrone Moore has been on a consistent lookout for playmakers, and he’s narrowing the selection down to four transfer WRs. As of now, the Wolverines are in hot pursuit of the following players—App State transfer Kaedin Robinson, Yale transfer David Pantelis, Clemson transfer Troy Stellato, and UConn transfer Skyler Bell. 

Michigan already brought in WR Donovan McCulley from Indiana. Their star receiver Peyton O’Leary has also announced his return to Ann Arbor for the 2025 season. Excluding these two players, here’s a quick look at which players will be moving into the offseason at receiver position—Fred Moore, Kendrick Bell, Semaj Morgan, Andrew Marsh, Channing Goodwin, Jacob Washington, Amorion Walker, and Jamar Browder.

With the optimism that’s in the air, do you think Michigan has a real chance to transform itself in 2025?