Whoa! What a season 2024 has been for the Michigan Wolverines. Fans have long cried for a messiah, and it seems Sherrone Moore is ready to answer the call. He’s already making moves, and the transfer portal is his secret weapon to rewrite the narrative. But Moore appears to have his sights set on a specific blueprint. And no brownie points for guessing.

It’s Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish transfers. After all, they made it to the National Championship. Even though they could not bag the title, their journey so far has been a commendable one. Maybe Moore wants that kick in his roster. And who better to provide it than the Fighting Irish themselves? 

Notre Dame transfers are Moore’s secret code for a turnaround

Last season is going to be etched in the fans’ memories for the longest time. Obviously not for good reasons, of course! Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, and the defending champions could not even make it to the playoffs. But Moore is taking one step at a time to flip the script.

One of the biggest cracks in their roster had been the defense. From holding the top 12 rank nationally under Harbaugh to straightaway getting down to No.17, is something Moore wants to fix. After all, ranking 98th nationally in pass yards allowed and 127th in yards per completion does not look good. Looks like the Wolverines HC has found the secret code to success. 

The catalysts are none other than Freeman’s boys, who chose to hit the transfer portal. The Irish are now ranked third in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 11.4 PPG. However, Sherrone Moore had to be patient. Since the Fighting Irish players were not available in the portal initially.

Players have five days to enter the portal after their season comes to an end. But as the portal opened the gates, Moore wasted no time diving in. On the Michigan Sports Talk podcast, the host stated, “One guy to keep a very close eye on is the Notre Dame offensive line transfer Rocco Spindler.” As a two-year starter at Notre Dame, there’s no question that the Wolverines could use his experience.

Standing tall at 6’5” and weighing 325 pounds, he earned a 71.8 pass-blocking grade and a 70.3 run-blocking grade while playing 747 snaps. Playing for Notre Dame, he did not allow one sack. However, he faltered while allowing 10 pressures playing right guard. It looks like Moore’s program already has an advantage. As the host stated, “He is a Michigan native from Clarkston. And you may be familiar with his name because he was a part of the 2021 recruiting class.” However, back then he chose the Fighting Irish over the Wolverines. 

Moore’s next target from Freeman’s hood is Palos Heights, Illinois, native, offensive lineman Pat Coogan. The transfer can play at the center as well as the guard, making him an ideal option to pair up with Spindler. The recruiting urge was burning so bright that Moore could not resist pursuing their archrival’s transfer.  

A golden opportunity for Sherrone Moore 

Michigan vs. Ohio State is arguably the most heated rivalry in college football history. But when they are the National Champions, why bother? Looks like Moore got really fortunate in getting the opportunity to lure away one of the Buckeyes’ phenom. That’s none other than the Imhotep Institute edge rusher Zahir Mathis, a one-time Ohio State commit. However, for now, the Wolverines can only keep an eye on him. The competition to land Mathis is going to be a wild one!

Moore has already got some important pieces to complete the defense puzzle. They now have Alabama defensive tackle transfer Damon Payne and Clemson transfer defensive lineman Tre Williams as their early prizes from the portal. But to woo Mathis, Moore might have to beat Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles. He had already taken a visit with FSU on the January 11-12 weekend.

And here is some bad news for Sherrone Moore and Co. Zahir Mathis had already gone head over heels for Mike Norvell. In an interview, the edge rusher shared, “I like everything that they’ve got planned, and I see that it might be a good environment for myself…He (Norvell) was just talking to me very well, making sure I was comfortable…It was good to have that bond with coach Norvell.”

So, flipping Mathis to Michigan would deliver a recruiting gut punch to Ryan Day. Snagging the Notre Dame transfers would rub even more salt into Ohio State’s wounds.