The 2024 season had shown the Michigan Wolverines some of the darkest times. With Jim Harbaugh gone and Sherrone Moore in, the Wolverines were the defending champions. Forget protecting the Natty, they failed to make it to the playoffs. However, Moore started to mend things in unimaginable ways. For instance, he had the best snatch of the year, the No.1 quarterback recruit, Bryce Underwood. But turns out that only bringing Underwood won’t be enough. He has got some more work to do in order to make the ‘Mission Underwood’ a successful one. Meanwhile, Moore is just a step away from pulling off a 315-lbs move.
Well, the Wolverines fans might remember the Underwood chase for the longest time now. The young chap was committed to Brian Kelly’s program. However, Moore might have had major FOMO. That’s when the Wolverines were fortunate to have Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison’s hands on them. Desperate for a long-term option under center, they made Underwood an offer he could not refuse. Going by the buzz, the four-year deal was reportedly worth $10 million, with some reports saying that he could make up to $12 million. But after this big snap, can Moore afford to sit back and chill? Absolutely not. He needs to tap into a ‘Protective Headcoach’ mode.
Buying a fence, getting home security, and acquiring a guard dog should be among the top priorities. Moore and recruiting staff ADT are prioritizing offensive line play. Being a former offensive lineman himself and later an offensive line coach, the head coach has all the necessary qualities. However, it’s high time he pours his talents into his search as the transfer portal opens the gates. On April 14, analyst Cooper Petagna on the 247Sports podcast addressed the elephant in the room. “What are you doing with Bryce Underwood? I get it. You’re paying him a lot of money, good offensive line, run the ball, complementary football.” However, a good piece in the Wolverines’ puzzle is missing. As Petagna highlighted, “Colston Loveland is gone and then you think about receivers. Well, they don’t have anybody returning that have a more than a 140 yards receiving last year.”
Ann Arbor is receiving wide receivers like Fredrick Moore, Semaj Morgan, and Peyton O’Leary. But the bitter truth is the fact that the Wolverines wideouts had perhaps the least productive season for the position group in Ann Arbor. In 2024, Freerick came up with 128 yards, Morgan with 139 yards, and O’Leary with 102 yards. The moral of the story? Not a single player in the group had even 150 receiving yards. Being a 13-game season, that would’ve only been an average of just 19.2 yards per game. The only player who touched the mark is Tyler Morris, who had 248 yards and two scores. But bad luck! Moore has lost Morris to Indiana. With Petagna, Gerald V. Dixon also pitched in.
“When you get a young player like Bryce Underwood, I don’t care how dynamic who he is… a few years he might be the best one in college football. You need to get him some friendly pieces around so that he can just get the ball out of his hand and create some dynamic plays.” Looking at the present situation, there is no scope. Now, will Moore be able to fill the gaps through the transfer portal?
Sherrone Moore is keeping the transfer portal warm
The winter portal did usher in some good news in Ann Arbor. Moore landed Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene, Alabama running back Justice Haynes, and linebacker Troy Bowles, among others. It’s time for some spring haul! The Michigan Wolverines are in a much better spot — on paper, at least — at most positions than this time last year. However, that doesn’t mean they will hit the ‘SETTLE’ button. The Wolverines are expected to be buyers in the portal this spring, particularly at three key positions.
As On3’s Pete Nakos highlighted, “Adding wide receiver talent will be a key portal focus for Michigan, too. The Wolverines have continued working on their offensive line and will be seeing what level of talent they can add in the portal.” There haven’t been any home-run additions added to the transfer portal yet, but one name to keep an eye on is former Ferris State offensive tackle Bryce George. Well, the 315 lbs is not the first Ferris State player that is gaining attention from Ann Arbor.
In the winter transfer portal, they have added offensive lineman Lawrence Hatter from Ferris State. Now, their next target remains the D-2 All-American. After all, the 6-foot star was an All-American last season and a two-time First-Team All-GLIAC selection. This would make Sherrone Moore’s the offensive room tighter with Evan Link, Andrew Sprague, and Andrew Babalola around. Now, will George consider Michigan? Well, an opportunity to stay in his home state for his final season of eligibility could be too good to pass up.
The post Sherrone Moore Urged to Do the Unthinkable for Bryce Underwood as Michigan HC’s 315LBS Move Cleared appeared first on EssentiallySports.
