ANN ARBOR, Mich. — You might assume Sherrone Moore would feel a bit uneasy. In his second season in charge at Michigan, he’s coming off an 8-5 campaign, breaking in a freshman quarterback ― the acclaimed Bryce Underwood ― and awaiting resolution from the NCAA on the sign-stealing investigation.
Barely two weeks until the opener against New Mexico, Moore still has a lot to figure out. But on a sweltering August day in the middle of camp, he liberally sprinkles words such as “love” and “great” while discussing his team. He looks and sounds at ease, a mild surprise considering this isn’t a job he was allowed to ease into.
He’s adopted what he calls the “TNT” approach — “Today, Not Tomorrow.” Just worry about today, not about the NCAA ruling that’s expected soon, when Moore could be hit with a two-game suspension, or more, or less. The drumbeat of doom has been wildly speculative and perhaps overblown. Since he was thrust into the middle of the maelstrom two years ago, taking over for the suspended Jim Harbaugh and serving his own one-game suspension for previous recruiting violations, Moore has weathered it all.
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“Today, not tomorrow, that’s all I’m worried about,” Moore said. “I’m worried about our players right now. The man upstairs has blessed me with the ability to be here, so I’m just worried about today.”
He has learned quickly how to compartmentalize. His composure in the midst of upheaval has been impressive, winning all three games as acting head coach in 2023, then rebounding to beat Ohio State and Alabama to end last season. The Wolverines are No. 14 in the AP preseason poll and picked fourth in the Big Ten, respectable, not overwhelming.
Is Moore feeling more comfortable these days because UM finally will get closure on its scandal? Maybe. More likely, he feels better about his team’s talent, especially in two areas he couldn’t depend on last season — quarterback and offensive line. The defense should be staunch again, with a deep linebacking corps and a line that boasts two more pass-rushing demons, Derrick Moore and TJ Guy.
“We’re in a really good place,” Moore said Tuesday at Schembechler Hall. “I feel like our football team is getting better and better and better. … I love this team. I love the passion. I love the energy. I love the togetherness. (I love) that we’re going to be a really physical football team. I learned that we’re going to be explosive on both sides of the ball and come from different positions at different times.”
Ready or not
That’s a lot of loving for yet-to-be-seen greatness. Yes, some of it is tied to the arrival of the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Underwood, who technically is in a battle for the starting job he’s expected to win. Moore reiterated he wouldn’t make an announcement until game week, with Jadyn Davis and transfers Mikey Keene and Jake Garcia in the mix.
But just as Moore did when he became head coach at the age of 38, Underwood will get baptized by fire. The freshman from Belleville turns 18 next week, and after the opener, the Wolverines play at Oklahoma. If Moore serves a two-game suspension, as some have reported, Underwood will get the full blast of exposure, while working with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
Moore isn’t yet lavishing gaudy praise on Underwood, for obvious reasons. He’s only a freshman, albeit the highest-touted (and highest-paid) in program history. After UM’s passing game was historically bad last season (129.1 yards per game, 130th), Lindsey’s offense is expected to include more deep passes, more balance.
But make no mistake. The Wolverines always build from the ground up, and have two excellent running backs in Jordan Marshall and Alabama transfer Justice Haynes. The offense was hamstrung by injuries and ineffectiveness at quarterback, and when former walk-on Davis Warren guided them to victories over Ohio State and Alabama, the running game and defense did most of the work.
Moore earned his reputation as a leader and teacher as offensive line coach, and UM won the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best line in back-to-back seasons. The dropoff last year was significant, and only three starters appear set right now. Notably at left tackle, Evan Link is trying to rebound but being pushed hard by five-star freshman Andrew Babalola.
It’s Moore’s pedigree, and he’s starting to like what he sees again.
“Yeah, we want the O-line to be elite,” Moore said. “The goal is to win a Joe Moore Award again. Awards aren’t the main thing — we’ll see after the first few games where we go. We’re in a good place to challenge and be one of the better lines in the country.”
Proactive approach
Moore’s vision of Michigan football isn’t appreciably different than his predecessor. The theory is, a little less drama doesn’t necessarily mean a lot less winning.
Moore has been proactive, firing OC Kirk Campbell after one season and bringing in the experienced Lindsey. It was huge for the Wolverines to retain defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, whose NFL pedigree attracts talent, and he knows how to unleash it.
Moore also beefed up two struggling position groups. He hired Lou Esposito to help young offensive line coach Grant Newsome, and added veteran coach Erik Campbell to assist Ron Bellamy and the receivers.
We’ll see how it all works, and there’s still a learning curve. But Moore appears more decisive and composed these days, and his recruiting has been stellar. Almost exactly one year ago, news broke that the NCAA accused Moore of deleting 52 text messages from sign-stealer Connor Stalions. Even though the messages were recovered and reportedly innocuous, Moore’s attempt to obstruct was a damaging, sloppy move.
From that misstep, Moore struggled with the quarterback riddle, using Warren, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle, often depending on who was healthy. But even as the sign-stealing scandal still swirled after UM’s national championship season, Moore kept his team intact and competitive.
The Wolverines were 5-5 before winning their final three against Northwestern, Ohio State and Alabama, and they did it with an offense ranked 129th overall. They did it with Martindale’s attacking defense, which allowed only 29 points in the three games, and sent four players to the NFL as high draft picks — Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, Josaiah Stewart.
With Moore, Guy and linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, the defense is far from depleted. The Wolverines return 13 starters overall, compared to four last season. Add the dynamic Underwood and any coach would feel more at ease, right?
“I don’t think at ease is the question to answer,” Moore said. “But it is different (than last year). There’s a form of maybe not being comfortable, but less uncomfortable than you were before. I thought I knew everything (about being the head coach at Michigan) because I was coordinator here and position coach here. But you don’t really know until you get in it.”
He got into it deep and delicately at the start, and now gets his chance to make a full, firm imprint. With a young quarterback and a daunting path, more uncertain tomorrows await. It won’t be easy but it can’t be as uneasy as it’s been, and he has valuable experience and new tools to handle it.
