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. Whether it’s on the field or off it. The Michigan Wolverines (5-3) persist in their ambitions to get back to the highs accomplished under former leadership.But the perils that came with it continue to haunt them.

Michigan’s national championship last season was in some ways marred by allegations of “sign-stealing. The program was observing the banned malpractice of sending “scouts” to watch opposition games live and bring back insider knowledge. As they await a verdict on their punishment, the after-effects are being felt through issues with player recruitment. Their pursuit of highly-touted TE prospect Andrew Olesh is particularly in jeopardy.

TJ Ronin of the MichiganVOCFB YouTube Channel, an insider on matters around Wolverines’ recruitment, had this to say. “Quite honestly, here’s the reality of the situation. [Olesh]  wants to be in Michigan. His mom wants to be in Michigan. They love Michigan. The concern for Olesh is simply [that] they have a concern for the potential ruling on the NCAA sign-gate situation. We will have the answer to that in November.”

The high-school senior is one of the top recruits of the 2025 class and is currently a Michigan Wolverines’ commit. Sherrone Moore’s offense has been looking for a spark all season, and a player like Olesh could provide that. Ronin expanded upon the predicament and gave his thoughts on the expected outcome.

“In my opinion, [if] there is nothing, [which] I’m anticipating there not to be much. Because trust me, if there was more than there’d be more concern. Michigan’s well aware of what’s in that notice of allegations. They already know [how] they’re going to respond in November. I don’t think he’s leaving, because he doesn’t want to leave”. Even as Ronin appears relaxed through the situation, there is palpable tension among fans. Adhering to reports, there is reason to believe Olesh may have had his head turned.

Wolverines ought to be worried about recent activity surrounding Andrew Olesh

Andrew Olesh and his family have been touring some of the biggest schools in the country. They are scheduled to be in their native Pennsylvania this weekend, guesting at Penn State as they take on Ohio State on Saturday. Andrew’s father, George, spoke about wanting to see whether “Penn State [are] able to get over the hump” and beat Ohio State before they make their decision. A result for James Franklin, who has infamously struggled against the top teams historically, will go a long way for the Nittany Lions landing the coveted TE.

Olesh has also visited Oregon and Bama in recent weeks. While he remains committed to Moore’s team, for now, college football is a fickle sport, and things can turn on a dime. Moore and the Wolverine programs will hope their pursuit for Olesh can be set in stone, and they can move on to adding other pieces around him.

Michigan will want to keep one eye on the result between their B1G rivals. A result for the Buckeyes will inadvertently aid them in the long run. But they stand on the precipice of a mammoth assignment themselves. No.1 Oregon visits Ann Arbor, and Sherrone Moore will require all hands on deck and more.