Michigan football recruiting under Sherrone Moore: Staff moves, QB battle, 2025 updates from top CFB insiders
With many of the stars of the 2023 team like J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson and Kris Jenkins turning their attention to the NFL Scouting Combine, there are plenty of holes on the 2024 Michigan football depth chart to be filled. That job falls to new head coach Sherrone Moore, who took over quickly after the departure of Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers in January. Spring practice is now just weeks away, and Moore will quickly look to make his mark for the defending national champions.
In addition to working with the current team, the staff is working on 2025 and 2026 Michigan football recruiting. Michigan jumped in on elite 2026 running back Javian Osborne last week and the Wolverines appear to be on the rise for 2025 four-star linebacker Darrell Johnson, who has a relationship with new linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary. If you want to see the latest Michigan recruiting news and updates on the staff and 2024 team, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at The Michigan Insider, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Michigan.
The team at The Michigan Insider is providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the defensive coordinator coaching search, including insights from Sam Webb, Steve Lorenz, Zach Shaw and Alejandro Zuniga. The unrivaled insider team has the latest Michigan recruiting news and the inside scoop on the Michigan coaching search.
The team at The Michigan Insider already has several recruiting updates from Moore’s first few weeks on the job, along with staff updates and an outlook for the 2024 roster. Head to The Michigan Insider now to see see the latest news.
Sherrone Moore Michigan recruiting and coaching updates
Michigan has one of the top returning tight ends in the nation in Colston Loveland. However, he’ll be draft eligible after next season, so tight end is a spot the Wolverines are hitting hard on the recruiting trail. Steve Casula is the new tight end coach under Moore, and one of his top targets is Goodland (Kan.) four-star Linkon Cure.
Cure is the No. 2 TE and the No. 43 overall player in the 2025 class in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Casula has already been in touch with Cure and found out where he stands with the new staff. The Michigan Insider staff caught up with Cure and he updated them on his thoughts on Casula and his plans to potentially visit Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines also are taking a big swing in the 2026 class by offering five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell out of Missouri. He’s the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 2 overall player in that cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The Wolverines join a loaded offer list that includes Ohio State, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and many others, so chasing recruits of this caliber will be a big test for Moore. Cantwell recently spoke with 247Sports about his level of interest in Michigan, and you can see what he has to say right here.
As for the coaching staff, Moore has made a lot of progress in the past week. While the offensive side of the ball has been relatively set for a few weeks, a lot of movement happened recently on the defensive side. After making a splash by hiring Martindale, Moore went to work to find three new position coaches on the side of the ball. Defensive backs coach Steve Clinksdale initially stayed with Moore at Michigan, but later decided to follow Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers.
Replacing Clinksdale will be Louisiana defensive coordinator LaMar Morgan. Morgan worked with former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter at Vanderbilt, and his connections in the south should pay dividends in recruiting. Another coach with southern ties, Brian Jean-Mary, is returning to Michigan to coach linebackers after a stint at Tennessee. Moore raided Big Ten rival Wisconsin to find new defensive line coach Gregg Scruggs. The Michigan Insider grades the new coaching staff right here.
The Michigan Insider staff is also turning their attention to a new-look 2024 squad. New offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell does not have the luxury of relying on a veteran quarterback following JJ McCarthy’s departure to the NFL. McCarthy led the Wolverines to a perfect 15-0 season that was capped off with a national title, so his replacement has big shoes to fill.
Juniors Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal are at the center of the competition, but Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis are also on the roster. While Orji did not throw any passes during the 2023 season, he rushed 15 times for 86 yards and a touchdown across six games. He had two carries for 15 yards against Washington in the national championship, suggesting that he could have a leg up on the competition for the starting job. TMI has the latest comments from new offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell on the QB competition right here.
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The Wolverines are also locking in on one of the top cornerbacks in the 2025 class. He’s eyeing a return trip to Ann Arbor, and he’s sharing his latest plans right here.
Who are the top recruits that Michigan’s new coaching staff is targeting right now, and who else is Michigan targeting for its staff? Go to The Michigan Insider to see all the latest Michigan recruiting and coaching search news, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Wolverines, and find out.
