Everyone thought the wheels would fall off. When Jim Harbaugh finally packed his khakis for Los Angeles, the consensus was that the Michigan Wolverines college football program would just... slide. It’s a natural assumption. You lose a generational coach, a Heisman-caliber quarterback, and basically an entire NFL starting roster in one offseason, and you're supposed to struggle.
But Michigan is weird.
It’s a place where tradition acts like a physical force. Honestly, the 2025 season was a fever dream that proved the "Michigan Man" ethos isn't just a marketing slogan. Sherrone Moore took over a program under an absolute microscope and somehow navigated a season that felt like a ten-round heavyweight fight. They didn't win it all, but they didn't crumble either.
The Sherrone Moore Reality Check
Being the head coach at Michigan is basically like trying to fix a plane while it’s flying through a thunderstorm. Moore didn't just have to win games; he had to deal with the NCAA looming over his shoulder like an annoying landlord.
The 2025 season ended with a 9-4 record. For most programs, nine wins is a "build a statue" year. In Ann Arbor? People were grumbling by October. You’ve gotta remember the context, though. This team lost at Oklahoma in a hostile Norman environment and got bullied by USC in the Coliseum. They were 5-5 at one point! Fans were panicking.
Then something clicked.
They beat Michigan State. They beat Washington. They scraped past Northwestern at Wrigley Field. By the time they hit the Citrus Bowl against Texas, the team looked like a completely different animal than the one that struggled in September. Yeah, they lost to the Longhorns 41-27, but the grit was back.
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The 2026 Outlook: Why the Defense Still Scares People
If you’re looking for why Michigan stays relevant, look at the guys who hit people for a living. The defense is still the identity. We just got word that Rod Moore is coming back for a sixth year. That’s massive. He's a two-time captain who basically lives in the film room.
- Rod Moore (DB): Returning for a 6th season after a medical redshirt.
- Nate Marshall (EDGE): A freshman who played like a senior and is expected to blow up in 2026.
- Ernest Hausmann (LB): The heart of the middle.
- Jyaire Hill (DB): Becoming a true lockdown corner.
The defensive line is where the magic happens. Michigan doesn't just recruit big guys; they recruit guys who move like cats. Even with the roster turnover, the 2024 unit was top-10 in the country. In 2025, they kept that same "suffocation" style. You don't beat Michigan by running through them. You have to go around, and most teams aren't fast enough to do that.
What’s Actually Happening with Recruiting?
Recruiting is the lifeblood, but under Moore, it’s felt a bit more... surgical.
Michigan just signed the 2026 class, and it’s sitting around No. 11 or 12 nationally. It’s not the No. 1 class in the country, but they’re landing the right players. They just flipped a three-star OL, Tommy Fraumann, who is 6-foot-8. You can't teach that kind of size.
They also landed Savion Hiter, a running back out of Virginia who is arguably the best back in the 2026 class. Michigan’s offense is basically built on the idea that if we run the ball at you 40 times, you’ll eventually give up. Hiter fits that perfectly.
The Quarterback Room: The Bryce Underwood Effect
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Bryce Underwood. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class decided to stay home. Having a guy like Underwood changes everything. For years, Michigan was the place where "quarterbacks go to hand the ball off."
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Not anymore.
Underwood has the kind of arm that makes scouts drool. But Moore isn't putting all his eggs in one basket. They’ve brought in transfers like Colin Hurley from LSU and Jake Garcia to provide some veteran stability. It’s a "best man wins" situation, which is exactly how you want a locker room to feel.
The NCAA Shadow and the Sign-Stealing Fallout
You can't talk about Michigan Wolverines college football without mentioning the Connor Stalions saga. It’s the story that won’t die. In late 2025, Michigan finally threw in the towel and stopped contesting the NCAA’s findings.
The penalties are... well, they’re hefty.
- Financials: A $50,000 fine plus 10% of the football budget.
- Probation: Four years of looking over their shoulder.
- Suspensions: Sherrone Moore has to sit out the 2026 season opener against Western Michigan.
- Recruiting: A 14-week ban on communications.
Is it going to kill the program? Probably not. It’s more of a lingering headache than a terminal illness. The school decided that fighting an appeal wasn't worth the distraction. They want to move on. Honestly, most fans are just tired of hearing about it. They want to talk about third-down conversions, not ticket receipts from 2022.
The Schedule is Brutal (Again)
The Big Ten isn't the Big Ten anymore. It’s a coast-to-coast gauntlet. In 2025, Michigan had to travel to Seattle, Los Angeles, and Norman. That’s a lot of frequent flyer miles for a group of 20-year-olds.
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In 2026, the road doesn't get easier. The conference is top-heavy with Oregon, Ohio State, and a surging Indiana. Michigan has to find a way to win those "coin-flip" games. Last year, they lost the coin flips against USC and Ohio State. To get back to the College Football Playoff, they have to win at least one of those marquee matchups.
Practical Steps for the 2026 Season
If you're a fan or just following along, here is how to track the progress of this program as they head into the next era:
Watch the Transfer Portal Openings The portal is basically a second recruiting season. Michigan has been aggressive lately, picking up guys like Smith Snowden (CB) and Max Alford (LB) to plug immediate holes. Watch for them to add another veteran wide receiver before spring ball.
Monitor the Offensive Line Development Michigan wins when their O-line is elite. Sherrone Moore is an O-line coach at heart. If they can’t protect Underwood (or whoever starts), the whole system collapses. Keep an eye on guys like Andrew Gentry and the incoming freshmen like Malakai Lee.
Attend the Spring Game The April scrimmage in Ann Arbor is usually the first time we see the new offensive wrinkles. With a new OC and a generational talent at QB, the "ground and pound" might finally get some aerial support.
Ignore the Preseason Rankings Michigan was underrated in 2023 and slightly overrated in 2025. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. Don't buy the hype or the doom-posting until at least Week 4.
The Wolverines are in a weird spot. They’re a blue-blood program trying to prove they weren't just a product of one coach's specific brand of chaos. They have the talent, they have the defense, and now they have the blue-chip quarterback. Now they just have to go out and play the games.