Let’s face the truth. This season, the Michigan Wolverines are nothing like the National Champions they’re supposed to be. They’ve already fallen out of the AP Poll rankings with their grim 4-3 record. New HC Sherrone Moore has been under constant pressure throughout the season as critics bomb him from all sides. But as dreary as their current season looks, hope sparks among fans as Moore pulls off a huge move to brighten Michigan’s future. 

5-star OT Andrew Babalola of the 2025 class has been highly sought by several prestigious programs like Oklahoma and Auburn. But he turned to Sherrone Moore as he announced his commitment to Michigan. TheWolverine.com recruiting writer Ej Holland joined Josh Newberg on a new YouTube episode on On3 Recruits on October 24 to discuss the massive recruitment win. He said, “I think Michigan was just that school that offered the best of both worlds for him – high level academics and high level of development on the football field.” But there’s someone else to credit for the Kansas native’s commitment.  

Holland added, “Plus you have a head coach in Sherrone Moore who was also previously the offensive line coach, who is also from Kansas and that played a big role for Babalola as well.” This is truly a huge achievement of Moore and a big win for the Wolverines. It has been quite some time since Michigan made waves in the recruiting front since the acquisition of 5-star Will Johnson in 2022. 

Thanks to Sherrone Moore’s relentless pursuit, the Wolverines can sleep easy knowing they have Babalola’s commitment. He’s the No. 21 overall prospect, No. 4 OT, and the top player from the state of Kansas. He’s also their first 5-star commit among the other 17 commits of the 2025 class, boosting Michigan’s recruitment ranking to No. 15 per 247Sports Composite. But their performance on the field is a different story. 

Michigan braces for in-state rivalry game

For Michigan, the QB dilemma is neverending. The last 21-7 loss against Illinois put Sherrone Moore in the center of fans’ wrath for his decision to start Jack Tuttle as the QB over Davis Warren and Alex Orji despite his previous bad game. But the real test is still up ahead as they prepare to face their rival Michigan State, who also share the same 4-3 record. 

Michigan leads over Michigan State in a 73-38 all-series record. But this season is different from the previous ones as Michigan is stuck in a trench. But Junior DT Kenneth Grant has confirmed that this game is going to be different too. He said, “Energy has been pretty good. We are playing for a trophy, so we are trying to keep that trophy and that history here. Just go out there and be violent, and it’s an in-state rivalry, so we gotta come and take their souls.” We’ll see if the Wolverines will be able to maintain their dominance in the upcoming Paul Bunyan Trophy clash.