Everything Michigan HC Sherrone Moore said during his latest Monday media availability

On the Citrus Bowl game against Texas

Great matchup, obviously a historic program, a lot of respect for Sark. Offensively, defensively, special teams-wise, a complete team, could possibly be in the playoff, so great opportunity for our football team to go against a really great opponent. Feel like we got a good football team, too. Excited to see the preparation, how we get through this bowl prep.

Offensively, starts with Arch, and starts with the quarterback. He’s just improved throughout the season, took a lot of criticism at the beginning. Still, he’s a heck of a player, talented, could run, they’ve got weapons all over the place, do a really good job scheming around the football.

Defensively, they’re attacking, Simmons is the outside linebacker, defensive end, he’s pretty special, pretty elite, so it’s going to be a great matchup.

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On the offensive gameplan for Ohio State

Try to be balanced. I mean, obviously, credit to them, not going to make excuses. They played well, they played better than us in that game. We didn’t do a good job executing that game, so thought we had a good start, and had good momentum.

I think as the game plan went and changed, you got in the red zone, trying to get the ball in the end zone. First play the game, you have a successful 20 or 30 yard run, you think that’s going to work, and then it doesn’t, so, for us, we got to move past that, we got to push through. We got to learn from it, though. We had usually 24 hours, that one was 48 hours, to really get over that one, so, learn from it and keep rolling.

On which members of the incoming freshman class could contribute right away

We’ll see, there’s a lot of them. I think it’s a special group of freshman incoming guys. Talking about the guys that are early enrolling and all that, we’ll see. Obviously, I think the talent of Savion Hiter is special. I think he could do it. Could be one of those receivers on the outside lanes, really excited about those guys. The linemen are all going to compete, so it’s a great group. The corners as well, linebackers, I mean, it’s a complete group, so we’ll see as we get through spring practice. I can answer that question better as we get to the summer.

On how much NIL has impacted signing day with late flips

It’s definitely out there, it’s definitely a thing, it’s something you can’t ignore. You have to have a plan for it, and you have to adapt to it, because, yeah, that’s part of it. You think you got somebody signed, and then somebody shoots out something, or does something, and you’ve got it cemented of what you’ve all agreed to, and all those other things, all those other pieces that are part of college football now, but that’s just college football now, and you’ve got to adjust and you’ve got to adapt.

On the lessons he can takeaway from the regular season

Time, time, time, time. A lot of time to think about what we’ve done and how we’ve done it. Proud of the team, it’s a very young team, and I continue to say it, and you go back and watch game by game, you saw groups getting better and better and better. Obviously didn’t get the result we wanted in the last game, and that’s what we worked towards, but try not to beat yourself up too much about that, because you’ve got to prepare for this next one. I think we’ve got a really good foundation of where we need to be, but we’ve got a lot to work on.

On a potential redshirt year for Mikey Keene and Rod Moore

Yeah, we’d love both of them back. Don’t plan on playing Mikey or Rod, probably, this game.

On what he’s telling the defense about Wink Martindale’s status

That he’ll be here.

On why playing in a bowl game is important for his team

I think I said this yesterday, but you only get better at it by playing it. The development that you get these extra 15 practices, and practices when you get down on the bowl site are super important. For us to be the team we need to be, you need to practice football, you need to play football, you need to have those competitive atmospheres, or you need to have that physicality to get back to where we need to be. And we know where we are right now is not where we want to be, but that’s where we’re at.

Our team is excited about the challenge ahead, because it’s going to be a great opponent. But these practices are so important. You take them all, and you want them, and you need them, and it’s only going to help us in the long run.

On what he hopes to see from Bryce Underwood during the bowl game and what he’s seen from Arch Manning

Yeah, Bryce, just go through his progressions. Stay true to his read, be who he is. Let’s put a great game plan together to complement our playmakers, and go try to win the game. And really not try to make it about Arch versus Bryce, which I know that’s what it’ll be about. It’s Michigan versus Texas, and can’t make it versus those two kids.

On when the NIL discussions begin for next year’s players

Yeah, I mean, those are just ongoing conversations that you have to have with kids. Just the state of college football now, you can’t ignore it. And you ignore it, then all of a sudden you lose a whole team, and we can’t do that. So, retainment is a huge piece of what we have to do, and what we will do as we go forward.

On what went into the hiring of Kerry Coombs

Kerry’s just so well respected in the field of coaching. Different coaches that I’ve talked to throughout the business, coaches that are here that have coached with him, obviously. But people that I really trust in the business have spoke so highly of him in the college and NFL ranks, and brought him here on an interview and it was just instant. You could feel the energy, you could feel the passion, you could feel he’s such a great teacher. And obviously a great recruiter.

I know he recruited the state of Michigan for so long and was so competitive when he was at that other school. But just felt like he’d be a good fit and a good connection to what we needed. And I feel really good about it.

On whether Coombs will help with the defensive backs

We’ll go there. We’ll talk about that later. But really, his focus will be on special teams. And as that needs assistance or help, he can always interject because he’s experienced. But he’s going to work with our special teams. And that puts an arm on the whole team, right? He gets to be a part of the whole team.

On whether he knows which incoming freshman will travel with the team to the bowl game

Well, with the new rule, they can’t play in it. So that’s a little bit different. So most of those guys will just report in January.

On whether he has any hidden gems in the 2026 recruiting class

Yeah, I mean, I think all of them. The guy that I think is really, really going to be a special guy is Marky Walbridge. He was recruited, but kind of not recruited. Him and Alistair, that’s the D-lineman. Those guys are really good. Alistair, it’s so weird. When you watch his film, he looks like Mason. You can’t say, hey, you’re going to be like Mason Graham. Mason Graham was a top ten pick. So that’s putting a lot on the kid. But his movements, his twitchiness, his ability to get off blocks, that’s what it looks like. But I’m really excited about the whole class. It’s a fun class. It’s a great bunch of kids, families, but a lot of good players.

On the second former Ohio State coach he’s hired and whether it’s been discussed with Coombs

It wasn’t on purpose. It’s not on purpose. I mean, in our conversations, I didn’t really, you know, specifically say, hey, what happened at Ohio State or why that (happened). He really was just talking about his whole career, how he’s got to this point of where he’s at in coaching, and why this place would be so important for him to be at. Just hearing his responses and understanding what we can do and how he can help us win, and how he wanted to impact lives was a huge piece of it.

On assessing the fit of Chip Lindsey with the offense

Chip has full autonomy. The offensive staff has full autonomy. I don’t call plays. I don’t make the decisions. I just help out where need be. So we just have to continue as a whole offense in the building to make sure it’s the best for the players that we have and continue to work for it that way.

On whether there were parts of Lindsey’s offense that they didn’t get to

I think we hit a lot of it, and a lot of stuff that he’s done in the past, we’ve done. Whether it be tempos, whether it be the spread sets, whether it be the passing, whatever it was. So there’s a lot of it that we hit. But as you have a younger team, there’s less you can do with them, right?

You can’t do everything. You could try to do everything, but then you’ll really be doing nothing. So we’ll progress, and as our team gets more veteran, and even in these bowl practices, there will be things that we’ll introduce that we haven’t done because we’ll have more time.

On whether he’s expecting Rod Moore to return next season

We’ll see. I think so, but that’s something we’ve got to leave up to the doctors and him and his family.

On what he feels like he wants the staff to progress on during bowl prep

I think just every day you don’t want to stay the same. So me as the head coach, coaches coaching, there’s not a really specific thing. It’s everything we do.

On the transfer portal and the importance of having funds ready to act quickly

Yeah, I mean, you’ve got to – the big thing about the portal is not only getting the right fit, but, the relationship, but, obviously, the right player. People that fit the program, the people that fit the culture, the people that fit involved in the program. You’ve got to be ready. We’re on it. We’ve been on it. You’ve got to stay on it.

You’ve got to have lists ready to go. Obviously, you can’t talk to the kids until they get in it. So, we’ve got to do everything we can to be prepared for that.

From a financial basis, all that, like, all that is a piece of it, right? We’ve got to make sure we’ve got a plan for all of it, and we do.

On what goes into player retention in the transfer portal era

With that, it’s just old school relationships and love, and the quality of them wanting to be at Michigan. I think that plays a lot into it. We keep a lot of guys here because they love this place. They love Michigan. They love what it’s about. They love what it’s done for them, love what they’ve done for it. So, I think that’s a huge piece of it, too. We all know NIL is a piece of it, but really, it’s about that, too.

On how much it helps to have common opponents when preparing for Texas

You’re going to look at – we’re going to look at every game, every game they’ve played. And there’s plenty of film on Pete and Sark as far as the offensive and defensive coordinators and Jeff Banks, the special teams coordinator. So, there’s plenty of film for multiple years of what they do and how they’ve done it. Obviously, the game plan has changed, so we’ll definitely go back and look at all the common opponents.

On balancing older players showcasing their play in the bowl game versus planning for the future

Yeah, just go play to win. Wherever we’ve got to win, that’s the only thing we’re worried about. It’s not really just playing for next year. Whatever we’ve got to do to win that game, that’s what we’re going to do.

On improvement with the pass rush after the OSU loss

Yeah, you’ve got to get there. That’s just plain and simple. There’s not really a big explanation for it. We’ve got to do a better job of getting that pass rush.

On whether he expects Justice Haynes to return next season

Yeah, that’ll be a conversation we’re still having.

On where Underwood has made progress this season and teaching points for the future

I think obviously learning the playbook, knowing what’s going on. Being able to make some spectacular throws like he has throughout the year, throwing on the move, throwing in the pocket, throwing different things. But I think definitely just continue to work on the little fundamentals. Start with your feet, make sure your feet are right. Make sure your eyes are exactly where they need to be, not looking at rushes. But everybody else has to continue to get better around him, too.

All the (blame) always gets pointed at the quarterback, whether it was Bryce, whether it was J.J., whether it was Cade. What’d the quarterback do wrong? Everybody else has to be good around him as well.

On Lindsey working with Underwood and the plan to have a dedicated QB coach hired this offseason

He spends a lot of time with him. That’s something we’re definitely looking at, is bringing in other people to help, bringing in another quarterback coach, and something we’re working diligently on to get worked on.

On whether he believes he’s maximized everything they’ve been able to get out of Underwood this season

I don’t think you’d ever be satisfied unless we were undefeated and number one ranked in the country. And you probably still wouldn’t be. So I don’t think you ever can be satisfied at any point with anybody and what we’ve done. But the progression that he’s made has been really good, and we’re going to continue to keep progressing.

On whether Ernest Hausmann is still with the team

Yeah, he’s just working through something that’s really all I can speak on. We’re just here to support him.

On whether he feels Hausmann has quit on the team

No. No, no.

On whether he watched the Big Ten championship game and what he was able to take away from it

Yeah, I watched it all. Physical teams, both up front. It starts up front. Be able to run the ball or stop the run, and be able to make plays in the passing game, and really execute in the red zone because there’s red zone stops in that one. There’s red zone stops in all the big games. You’ve got to be able to score in the red zone.

On the analysts who work with Underwood

Yeah, Josh (Sinagoga) has been as well. He’s been assisting as well. But Travis Russell helps as well. Chip helps. Chip’s there. Chip’s the mainstay of helping out with being the quarterback coach and being the offensive coordinator.

On whether he wants to hire anyone else to join the group

Yeah, or move it around however we feel necessary.

On the state of Indiana football and Curt Cignetti

Just a lot of respect for them and a lot of respect for how they play, what they’ve done. I watch them weekly. They’ve done a really good job, and regardless of the logo on the helmet, they’re a good football team. They’re represented the right way. They’re playing physical. They’re playing fast.

Quarterback’s a heck of a player. Defense is really good. Just respect for what they’ve done and respect for him as a coach.

On Notre Dame not making the playoff and the decision to not play in a bowl

Yeah, that’s their decision, and that’s something that we’re not going to do, so that’s just their decision.