When Sherrone Moore first took over as coach of the Michigan football team, he was in a bit of an awkward position. Between the Wolverines’ run to the National Championship and former coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to take the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers, the transfer portal was already closed by the time he took the helm.
Now moving into this offseason, that won’t be the case. Moore’s not going anywhere, and while it’s obviously not his preferred outcome, Michigan didn’t make the College Football Playoff. So with his attention already turning to the future, Moore gets to take a different approach to the portal than he did a year ago.
“When I first got the job, the transfer portal was closed so it was just people trying to take our guys, and it was constant defense,” Moore said Tuesday. “Now we get to play a little offense, and we get to go out the portal and get the right guys, the right fit for us. That’s where it’s advantage us.”
The Wolverines have already started playing some defense and are experiencing some attrition through the portal, with multiple players sharing their intent to enter it. Junior wide receiver Tyler Morris, senior offensive lineman Dominick Giudice and senior punter Tommy Doman headline the list as starters from this season who are moving on, but Michigan is going to lose some depth pieces, too.
The difference this offseason is that while those guys might leave, Moore and Michigan will have the entire transfer window to replace them. The Wolverines have already had some portal entrants come to visit like Indiana wideout Donovan McCulley, and will likely have many more in the coming weeks as they try to find the right fit.
Moore also made it clear Tuesday that he’ll be hunting in the portal for one specific position: quarterback.
“There’s a lot of positions that we’re adding depth and adding spots to help fill, so the specifics of that, I guess you guys will have to see,” Moore said. “But we’re definitely looking for a quarterback in the portal, and we’ll go from there.”
Heading into this season, Moore received criticism for not bringing a quarterback in through the portal to compete for the starting job, and it resulted in a season full of mediocre quarterback play at its best. He’s not making that mistake again. Even with phenom Bryce Underwood coming to Ann Arbor, Moore is looking to get an experienced guy in the quarterback room to compete with him.
“Yeah, experience,” Moore said of what he wants from a potential quarterback in the portal. “A guy that’s going to be a great leader, a great teammate, obviously have the ability to play and gotta be a great fit. That’s gonna be the number one piece.”
Thus far, Michigan has been looked at as a potential destination for Southern California quarterback Miller Moss, who brings 10 starts and four years worth of experience with the Trojans with him. In house, senior quarterback Davis Warren — this season’s primary starter — still could return for another season with the Wolverines as well. For as much talent as Underwood has, it’s still very rare for any true freshman to start at Michigan, let alone a quarterback.
In finding a quarterback in the transfer portal, replacing departed players and adding depth, Moore has a task on his hands that he hasn’t fully faced yet as head coach. But he also gets to “play a little offense” for the first time this year, and he’s clearly excited about that.
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