Michigan Wolverines 2025 recruiting class is proving to be a difficult challenge for head coach Sherrone Moore

The Michigan Wolverines won the 2024-25 College Football Playoff, but the aftermath has been difficult. After losing Jim Harbaugh and a huge exodus of seniors to the NFL and graduation, new head coach Sherrone Moore has been put into an impossible situation. Expectations aren't terribly high for the 2024 season, but the Wolverines' 2025 recruiting class is also struggling.

While it's understood that Michigan will never produce a top 10 recruiting class due to location, NIL, and academic factors, this program should do well in its own state and with certain positional groups. According to a recent report from ESPN , Moore is underperforming.

"Michigan has been a little shaky," one rival Big Ten personnel staffer said. "Statistically, they may have a top-20 class, but they've whiffed on some kids that they should have gotten."

In Moore's first year, Michigan is ranked 18th according to ESPN's team rankings for the recruiting cycle, following a season of mixed results in recruiting.

The acquisition of former Notre Dame cornerback Ivan Taylor (ranked 41st in the ESPN 300) marked a significant gain for the Wolverines, establishing a foundational piece for the class. Additionally, securing commitments from four-star recruits such as safety Kainoa Winston (ranked 42nd), tight end Andrew Olesh (ranked 106th), and wide receiver Jacob Washington (ranked 218th) contributed positively to their recruiting efforts.

However, the loss of recruits such as running back Jordon Davison (to Oregon), wide receivers Phillip Wright (to LSU) and Taz Williams (to Baylor), and offensive lineman Hardy Watts (to Wisconsin) represented missed chances for Michigan to enhance its 2025 class further.

The team needs talent at the wide receiver and linebacker positions. Prospects for improvement could come from securing commitments from four-star wide receiver Andrew Marsh (ranked 62nd in the ESPN 300) and linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (ranked 74th), which would indicate a significant positive shift in momentum for Moore's inaugural recruiting cycle.

It's not all bad for Moore, obviously. The Michigan brand carries a ton of weight, especially for trench players. Incoming transfer Gio El-Hadi turned down " big bags " of money because he believes in the Wolverines and Moore.

"I was getting offers from other teams. I was getting other players from other teams telling me to come. Obviously, NIL and everything, they're throwing pretty big bags. And don't get me wrong: That money, it looks good. I know my family could use that money," El-Hadi said. "But I thought about it. Like I said, I had to trust in God's plan. And it's hard for people to really trust in that plan, because you want what's best for you at the end of the day, but God wants what's best for you too.

But work clearly needs to be done, and quickly, or else the Wolverines could be at risk of falling into mediocrity as their roster degrades over the next few years.