The more money that goes out, the more success that comes in. That’s a fallacious notion if there ever was one. College Football is a lot of things, but it isn’t basic math. Money and success do not have a reciprocal relationship in this sport. Sure, it often does work out that way, i.e., the current iteration of the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, a different blueblood program is experiencing first-hand that throwing money at a problem doesn’t necessarily cure it. 

Say you’re an athletic director tasked with the custodianship of a football program. You’re with the times, embracing modernity. You’ve garnered one of if not the biggest NIL arsenals in the country. Spending it to acquire some very functional new pieces from high school and the transfer portal alike. Yet, the foundations are cracked. So much so that 25 players have seeped through them out of the program. It’s bound to ring alarm bells.

From the Natty merely a year ago to drifting deep in the abyss of B1G mediocrity. A storied cornerstone of College Football such as the Michigan Wolverines cannot afford blips like this. Amidst a season doomed from early October, if not prior, the recruitment landscape for 2025 has admittedly been at the forefront of everybody in Ann Arbor. But as hard as Sherrone Moore tries to ascend out of the metaphorical quicksand that is the Harbaugh era, he seems to get hauled further in.

The turnaround in the Michigan Wolverines’ roster has been almost unprecedented. 25 players have turned their heads to Sherrone Moore this offseason, including six O-linemen. This was relayed over on the Locked on Big 10 podcast. Coach Moore has managed to make some progress on the incoming front, but it seems like 1 step forward trailed by 2 steps backward. “It’s a lot different than last year…Jim Harbaugh left [and] a lot of coaching staff left. But a lot of the players stayed. They believed in that ‘Michigan’ thing,” said the podcast host. The tables have turned this time around. Are players losing belief in the direction of the program under Sherrone Moore?

The effect on the offensive line is the most telling aspect of this ordeal. Graduate senior Jeffrey Persi became the last to join the carousel. He was not a starter but played 38 games for Michigan. It’ll be disingenuous and even borderline delusional to think that all these O-linemen leaving will not have an effect on an already fractured offensive unit. The reason for this is inconspicuous. But here’s a possibility.

Discerning why the Michigan Wolverines are losing most of their offensive linemen

Cast your minds back a couple months ago. The Michigan Wolverines were yearning for a messiah figure to lead them back to where they belonged. They identified no.1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood to fit that bill, and boy did they make sure the yearning was reciprocated. Upwards of $10 million in NIL money later, Sherrone Moore got his QB for the future. Future being the operative word here.

Sherrone Moore deployed 3 different quarterbacks to fill his JJ McCarthy-shaped void under center. You’d think they’ve resolved this personnel issue with Underwood. However, throwing a true freshman straight into the deep end isn’t particularly wise. Hence, Michigan acquired the services of Mikey Keene via the portal. The veteran has traversed two different programs already and thrown for a cumulative 8,245 yards and 65 TDs through the air in his collegiate career. The general belief in and around Ann Arbor is that Keene will, at least initially, be QB1 for 2025.

Did the O-line not want to play in front of a stop-gap quarterback? The most likely outcome is that Michigan doesn’t go straight back to being Natty contenders with Keene. So the O-line wouldn’t be featured in the same vein as it would’ve with Bryce Underwood. But it’s still Michigan after all, getting your flowers should’t be that difficult. Whatever the reason, Michigan has only been able to get 2 offensive linemen in through the portal to counteract this loss. The clock is ticking to turn things around. If Ohio State wins the National Championship, best believe Sherrone Moore will be on a short leash right from the outset of year 2.