Okay, so the Michigan Wolverines HC Sherrone Moore has seen enough as a debut coach. He had to make up for the havoc that Jim Harbaugh left the Wolverines with before parting ways. But fans are still upset with Moore as Michigan could not make it to the playoffs even after being the defending champions. But he had tried enough to win their hearts. He landed the No.1 recruit Bryce Underwood. And even after that refuses to settle down. For now, it’s only the WR room that Moore is channeling all his focus on. Unfortunately, his coaching roster is about to witness a major shake-up. All thanks to Wink Martindale. 

Now that Moore has snatched away Underwood from the LSU Tigers, he has set his standards high. But poor Moore! His mission ‘Protect Bryce Underwood’ went awry. That’s because his Miller Moss plan failed. The $91k talent chose Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals instead of Moore’s Wolverines. But the Michigan HC refuses to pester over the loss. Instead, he wants to catch big fish (read: wide receivers). Every other day one or the other WR’s name comes up. At first, it was Clemson Tigers wide receiver Troy Stellato who had grabbed Moore’s interest. Trying to land three taller wide receivers, UConn WR Skyler Bell’s name also did rounds. Now it’s time for some new names. Woohoo!

On the Michigan Sports Talk, the podcast host confirmed Penn State Nittany Lions’ WR duo Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans as Moore’s next targets. Now what makes the two so enticing for the Wolverines HC? As the podcast host stated, “They both have one season of Eligibility remaining. Both have Big 10 experience.” Evans comes up with a strong resume. He caught 21 passes for 415 yards and five touchdowns during the 2024 season. And what about Wallace? 

Standing at 6-foot-1, 195-pound pass catcher caught 46 catches for 720 yards. As found in the podcast, “Wallace did have 46 receptions for 720 yards and four touchdowns this year and he also played 613 of his 688 snaps out wide this season which is something Michigan needs a guy on the outside.” However, in both cases, competition is going to be tough for Moore. Wallace is set to visit Louisville, North Carolina, Texas A&M, and South Carolina. While Tennessee, Washington, Texas Tech, and Syracuse are ready to host Evans. Not just the players, Moore might have to lock the gates for his defensive coordinator too.  

Sherrone Moore’s and Wolverines’ defensive domination under threat

Maybe the universe is testing Moore’s patience now. Although the HC is all focused on shaping the 2025 roster, it’s time for some reality check. The Wolverines had 14 scholarship players enter the portal since the end of the regular season. The notable losses have been center Raheem Anderson who committed to Western Michigan. Offensive tackle Tristan Bounds, running back Cole Cabana, offensive tackle Andrew Gentry, and running back Tavierre Dunlap also ended their chapter in Ann Arbor. 

Now that Moore is stacking up the players, trying to fill the empty spaces, here came another blow. It has been only a year since Wink Martindale joined Michigan after a prolonged stint in the NFL. As defensive coordinator, he led a unit that did some very good things across the 2024 season. Not to forget how the Michigan defense held Ohio State’s high-flying offense to just 10 points. They also gave Kalen DeBoer’s offense a hard time by limiting Alabama to just 13 points.

Just when things started to look a bit better for Sherrone Moore, a rumor started to do rounds. As CBS Sports analyst Jonathan Jones tweeted on January 13, “The Falcons are interviewing Michigan DC and longtime NFL coach Wink Martindale for their vacant defensive coordinator position, sources tell  @NFLonCBS.” Now what’s Moore’s to-do list? Sealing the deal with WR recruits while fending off NFL suitors eyeing Martindale.