Bear McWhorter withdraws LOI from Michigan after Sherrone Moore firing

Bear McWhorter withdrew his letter of intent from Michigan Friday morning, two days after the Wolverines announced the school’s decision to fire former head coach Sherrone Moore. The three-star lineman from Cartersville (Ga.) Cass High was the program’s first commit of the calendar year.

He’s the No. 609 recruit in the country and the No. 58 interior offensive lineman nationally. McWhorter checks in at 6-3, 308 pounds and was one of the program’s top priorities in the trenches for the 2026 cycle. Offensive line coach Grant Newsome was his primary recruiter.

“In light of recent events, I’ve made the very difficult decision to withdraw my NLI,” McWhorter said in a statement released on Twitter. “I’m very grateful to the staff at UM for everything they’ve done.”

After narrowing his top schools down to five early in the year, he committed to the Wolverines Feb. 28. His decision came down to Michigan and Alabama.

This reopening comes after, per a statement from U-M athletic director Warde Manuel, Moore was fired this week after an investigation by the university.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” Manuel said the a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

Michigan holds 25 signees in its 2026 class that ranks No. 12 nationally— five-star Mineral (Va.) Louisa County running back Savion Hiter, five-star Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga EDGE Carter Meadows, Top 100 Honolulu (Hawaii) Kamehameha offensive tackle Malakai Lee, Rivals300 St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet defensive lineman Titan Davis, Rivals300 wide receiver Brady Marchese, Rivals300 Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian’s offensive lineman Marky Walbridge, Rivals300 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith wide receiver Travis Johnson, Rivals300 Waco (Texas) Connally cornerback Jamarion Vincent, Rivals300 Liberty Hill (Texas) High defensive lineman Alister Vallejo, four-star Chicago (Ill.) Simeon EDGE McHale Blade, four-star Richmond (Va.) Hermitage defensive back Andre Clarke, three-star Washington (D.C.) St. John’s EDGE Tariq Boney, three-star Denver (Colo.) Mullen tight end Mason Bonner, three-star Dallas (Texas) Parish Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Pile, three-star Richmond (Va.) Huguenot linebacker Markel Dabney, three-star Hinsdale (Ill.) Central kicker Micah Drescher, three-star Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales running back Jonathan Brown, three-star Wilmette (Ill.) Loyola Academy offensive lineman Tommy Fraumann, three-star Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier linebacker Aden Reeder, three-star Jackson (Miss.) Hartfield Academy linebacker Kaden Catchings, three-star Saline (Mich.) High quarterback Tommy Carr, three-star Newberry Park (Calif.) High quarterback Brady Smigiel, three-star Washington (D.C.) St. John’s offensive lineman Adrian Hamilton and three-star Phoenix (Ariz.) O’Connor long snapper Colton Dermer.