Everything Sherrone Moore said about Michigan's 2026 recruiting class on the In the Trenches podcast

On what the 2026 recruiting class brings to Michigan

Man, a vast number of things. This is gonna be the second top 15 (recruiting class), last year was a top 10 class. It’s gonna be maybe a top 10 class as we finish it out. But a vast number of things, really started up front. We built it inside out, right? We brought in five or six linemen on each side of the ball and feel really good about all of them. I feel like they’re all gonna be physically mature, some are gonna be ready faster than others, from the edge positions, the linebacker position, the big skill guys, the tight ends. Feel like we got some guys that can really impact us and continue the physicality.

We’re big at a lot of those spots, long. So it’s gonna be fun to watch, and then the skill guys feel like we got some electric guys on the outside, on the inside.

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On the roster needs that needed to be addressed in the class

We wanted to make sure, one, on the offense line, we were so young but still brought in guys to build off of that youth on the O-line and the D-line. D-line, we’re gonna lose four inside guys, so we had to make sure we filled those voids inside and continue to fill those voids as we still go through the portal recruiting all those guys. Cornerback, we felt like we got longer, and I thought we got some guys there, and then the outside lanes with the receivers. We did as well, too

On whether the offensive signees fit the philosophy at Michigan

One, I wanted to get bigger, especially on the outside. Our tight ends have always been big, but long, physical, fast. Our receivers, wanted to get fast guys that can run, but they were big and could make the competitive catches. I feel like we did that and feel like we’ve added to the roster and added to the group in a positive way that. We can definitely do that and compete at the highest level.

On the defensive signees fitting the philosophy

Yeah, same thing. I wanted to fill the voids inside, you know losing those four guys and then, you know Have some playmakers on the edges, which we felt like we did that Some of the guys we recruited and then you know on the back end, you know Continue to add pieces to that to help us be complete on the back end.

On what Jordan Deck brings to the program

Very cerebral player. Loves football, loves competition. Studies the game at a high level, has a high football IQ. I remember being in the office with him and asking him what does he want to work on? He talked about tackling and showing me tackling form of how good he wanted to be and how good he wanted to tackle. His ball skills, which he had like a 94-yard pick six throughout the year. So it was good to see him work on that. But he’s an excellent player and very excited to have him.

On what Andre Clarke brings to the program

Tackle, can play press coverage, can play man coverage, can be a nickel, can be a safety. We’re starting out at corner, see how he pans out there, but feel good about him. He has a lot of relationships with guys that we have on the team.

Jamarian Vincent, Waco, Texas, flipped him from Baylor, I thought Coach Morgan did an unbelievable job recruiting him. A 6-2 corner that could run, that’s very fluid, has ability, has good, really good, ball skills. High point ball skills, which we wanted guys that can go get the football when it’s in the air.

We know to win the conference and compete in the playoffs, you have to guard the best of the best on the outside lanes

On what Titan Davis brings to the class

Titan’s got high, high upside. Very similar to Kris Jenkins in personality and in build, size and physicality. Played more edge in high school, who’s gonna probably slide inside to a three technique or when we play our odd packages. But a physical kid that can play multiple spots

On what he saw from Allister Vallejo

Very eerily similar play style and ability to Mason Graham. Whether he projects to be a first-rounder like Mason Graham, that’s a whole different story. But, I mean, the mannerisms, how he walks, how he comes off the football, his hands, his fundamentals, his technique plays like Mason. So that was super intriguing and had high production this year.

On McHale Blade’s addition

A versatile player, could probably slide inside but probably gonna stay on the edge. Long, physical out of Simeon High School in Chicago. Feels like he’s gonna keep getting better and better.

On Tariq Boney’s addition

Big comparison is Josiah Stewart. He’s not as tall as the other guys, but he’s compact. He’s powerful, explosive, had high production this year. Also played tight end, ironically played against Carter Meadows in a game in high school. Those guys had a battle. I actually went and watched Tariq play a basketball game. He’s only 6’2, and we’re in warm-ups, and he goes up and dunks a windmill dunk two-handed. I’m like, okay, we want that guy. Explosive, twitchy.

On Carter Meadows

Again, another super really good basketball player, and plays summer league. I went to those two basketball games, it was like watching North Carolina-Duke play on a basketball court in a high school arena. He is explosive, he’s physical. He has raw ability stuff that you can’t teach, obviously, with his length and size. So he’s just gonna continue to get bigger and bigger and better and better

On Micah Drescher’s addition

Accurate, big leg. Can kick and punt and do multiple things. A great young man. Great student. It’s gonna be a great asset to the football team.

On Kaden Catchings’ addition

Kaden was a late add. He was committed to USF, and then we ended up flipping him late. I thought Coach BJ did a great job finding him and recruiting him. Athletic, twitchy, could play multiple spots within the defense and give us the ability to move a guy around

On selling recruits on playing time and competition at a deep position

I think it’s just the competition makes you better. You got to be able to bring in the right competition to challenge the guys, but also the competition that you got to bring in, they got to be able to be challenged and they got to be able to take that challenge and be coached hard. To be pushed, because, if you don’t, then you’re just gonna stay the same.

On deciphering when a recruit has the ability to be challenged

I think you can really tell as he plays, as he practices, as he goes through — when you ask him the question, are you competitor? You can kind of see it in their eyes if they are or if they’re not. They give you the look if they are, and if they’re not, you kind of can figure that out pretty quickly

On Markel Dabney

We’ve done a lot of research on him. He’s been here for seven on sevens. He played tight end in high school, played running back, played linebacker. Kind of like Michael Barrett. Very versatile, didn’t play quarterback, but a guy that had high production in high school and very, versatile.

On having positional versatility as a recruit

I love it and it just makes you a better football player when you know what the other side is doing. You kind of have a vantage point of what they’ve done or what you can do when you’re in that position. So I really like the ability for guys to play different sides of the ball. Ultimately want the guys to be on one side but being able to do both is a huge advantage.

On Aden Reeder

Long, physical, really excited about him. Got him later on in the process. St. X kid, great tradition in high school that has bred so many players, and we’re just really, really excited that we got him and his versatility.

On how he recruits the long snapper position

I venture that to the special team staff more than anything. Better be accurate, that’s all I know. Better be consistent and accurate, and be able to hold up in protection.

On whether Colton Durmer adds accuracy and consistency

I think so, I think you just saw — also a great fit academically, all those things. Gets the ball back with really great timing, speed and consistency.

On recruiting Tommy Fraumann

Oh, it was awesome having the family, Bob and Katie. They’re just great human beings, great people to have around. Real Go Blue people. But Tommy has a high upside, very similar to Blake Frazier. Long, lean, wide shoulders. He’s gonna be a huge human being and he’s got very high upside. So excited to see where he goes and his maturation as he grows.

On Adrian Hamilton

Got really long arms, played tackle in high school. I think he’s gonna end up moving to center. I think he’s very twitchy, great flexibility, great knee bend in his hips and his ankles. Eerily similar to — his twitchy and skills to Kayden Strayhorn. I’m ready to watch him develop as an O-lineman here. Malakai Lee another long player six seven

On Malakai Lee

Had a long-standing relationship with Grant Newsome. He’s done an unbelievable job recruiting. Many trips over the water to go visit him. I’ve taken the trip over to Hawaii a couple times myself, but he is an athletic freak for how big he is, how long he is, and you can see we’ve recruited some big human beings. We wanted to get bigger. We’re going to get stronger, I think we did that with those guys up front, and he’s a prime example of a guy that can come compete early.

On what he tells parents of recruits who are far away

Well, the funny thing about that one is that the first time he came, he came to camp, so that was the first time he actually came here. So we knew there was general interest because it’s hard to recruit somebody from that far away if there’s not real, real interest and they’re just trying to get offers. He really had interest in the school. So he came to camp, obviously, it was easy for us to say, oh, yeah, you’re good enough.

It was really just the parents feeling the environment. He’s got multiple brothers and sisters, got a little baby sister. Mom and dad have been here multiple times, so it’s feeling the energy and feeling the love of the staff, that’s really helped them make this place feel like home. and I I’ve met some of these kids

On Bear McWhorter

Bear plays like that. Bear’s physical, strong, nasty, twitchy, and an impressive senior year that he put on display. Projects as an inside guy somewhere but has some tenacious ability to maybe jump in the mix early. That room’s gonna be uber competitive, as competitive as it’s been since I’ve been here, and really excited about that room, especially with the additions of these guys

On Marky Walbridge

Another large human being who, by the time he steps on foot on campus and steps into training camp, he’ll probably be 305, 6-6. For being such a mild-mannered human being, it’s a typical O-lineman, when he gets on the field, he’s a nasty man. He’s nasty on the field. He’s physical. He’s tenacious. He’s a finisher. It’s really cool to watch his development. Offered him when he was a freshman. I remember going there when I was coaching the O-line. I offered him. I said this dude is huge, I don’t know how good you’re gonna be, but you’re gonna be pretty good, I think. All of a sudden, we’re recruiting him. So very happy that we got Marky.

On selling quarterbacks to Michigan

I think a lot of it is them wanting to be a part of what is happening here at Michigan. Them seeing how bright the future is here, them seeing what they could learn from the guy that’s playing, but also being a part of the whole system and then whenever it’s their turn, challenging for the spot. So both of those guys, it’s a pleasure recruiting them in the process because they’re very selfless, and the fact that they know that Bryce is the guy, Bryce is the starting quarterback here at Michigan, but they’re gonna do everything they can to push him.

On dealing with a recruit that is injured

The family’s pretty scared, the family thinks at that point that we’re gonna drop the kid. That we’re not gonna abide by his scholarship. There are some schools that will do that. We are not one of those. Once you commit to us, we’re committed to you. Just like we tell them. That conversation went pretty smoothly in the fact that they were very relieved that we’re still, hey, you still got the scholarship. You still got everything. We’ve talked about it, and we’ll keep that bond the same.

On Tommy Carr

Tommy, man. Tommy had a great senior year. Was committed to Miami of Ohio, somebody we’ve had an eye on for a long, long time. Obviously, have known for a long time and very excited to get a Carr back in the Michigan family.

On whether he spoke to Lloyd Carr about recruiting Tommy

I did, yeah. He sent me a long text about him, how happy he was, and I can’t wait to get him back to practice. To watch him practice.

On Jonathan Brown

Jonathan’s a bigger back, longer back. Long strider, runs very physical and upright. He’s gonna mature into a super physical back for us, and a great addition to our program.

On Savion Hiter’s expectations as a freshman

I don’t put too much on him to start. I want him to be him. He’s electric. His highlight film, you watch it, I mean, he had a six-game highlight film, and he had 55 carries for 1110 yards with like 15 touchdowns, averaged 20 yards a carry, and it’s like a video game, right? He’s an elite specimen physicality, a great human being. So we’ll see exactly what he does when he gets here, but I imagine he’s gonna be an immediate impact for us.

On Mason Bonner

You can see the theme. There’s a lot of 6’6, 6’7 6’5 guys. I’ll be very short. I just remember taking all these pictures with all these recruits in my office. I’m like, man I feel little. I feel so little, but we wanted to build this to be a big, physical, football team at every position. Doesn’t matter what personnel we’re in, we want to be big. Mason is an elite upside basketball player. Elite jumping ability, the biggest thing we’ll be working on is the blocking piece, but he’s a willing blocker. Great ball skills for a guy that size and smooth.

On Matt Ludwig

This is one of the great named classes. Moose, Bear, Blade, Ace. I mean, there’s so many great, great names. Moose is a physical freak, got to watch him play basketball. Six-five, and jumping off of two feet windmill dunking, blocking people. He’s like an eleven-hundred-meter runner, so he’s a special player, special specimen. Look for him to make an impact early

On Jaylen Pile

Jaylen is, I think, two or three years in a row over a thousand yards receiving. Just extremely productive, underrated. Not highly rated. Guy’s been committed to us for a long time. Projects as a bigger slot guy that’s a very detailed and precise route runner that can make plays after the catch. So I think he’s gonna be a valid piece for us

On Travis Johnson and recruiting the East Coast

Try to stay in the footprint as much as possible, but you will venture out like Montana and California for those different guys. Hawaii, Texas. Travis is, again, tall, long, physical. Great ball skills, fast. A 6-3 receiver, a guy that can stretch the field

On Brady Marchesse

Dynamic playmaker who we’ve recruited for a while. Was committed elsewhere in the last hours of recruiting. That’s how it is, right? You’re always working. You always continue to find ways to change the roster and really needed a guy that could affect us in the slot but also in the return game, in different pieces. Explosive, great, great ball skills, great catch rate for his size. But dynamic in different phases.

On whether Michigan will try to add recruits in February

Not really. I think more of what we’ll really deal with is more the transfer portal and see what guys we’ll have to supplement the roster with. The whole roster won’t be built with transfer portal guys. We want to spend more of our time in the high school ranks and build it with the foundation of that, but there will be some pieces that we’ll have to dig into that.

On how challenging signing day has become

It’s part of the process. It used to be you’re just waiting for the faxes to come in and if a guy made a decision you kind of knew that he was switching or not. Now, it’s you really don’t know because schools can call in and they can offer another number and they can offer a big number and sometimes you can’t deal with it. Sometimes you can’t fight it, and you want as much as they can to come to Michigan because it’s Michigan, but the reality of the business is it’s different now. It’s a business, and there’s a lot of pieces to it, so we got to do as much as we can to keep the guys that we want and that we need here, and we got to get here. We got to fight those battles.