Michigan has won three straight Big Ten championships and made three straight appearances in the College Football Playoff, including a national championship last season. It’s been great to be a part of the Michigan Wolverines in recent years, but all good things must come to an end, including the Jim Harbaugh era.
Harbaugh left Michigan in January to become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, but he took much of his Michigan staff with him, including defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. Michigan then promoted offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to head coach. Moore, Harbaugh’s right-hand man, beat teams like Penn State and Ohio State as interim head coach last season while Harbaugh was serving a Big Ten Conference suspension following allegations of sign-stealing by the team’s former analyst. Moore was a solid choice for the Wolverines, but he’ll have a tough task ahead, to say the least.
Beyond the coaching change, the number of players who have departed for the NFL has made things even tougher for Michigan this season. Thirteen Michigan players were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, including quarterback JJ McCarthy, who went ninth overall to the Minnesota Vikings. McCarthy has a 27-1 record as a starter.
At Big Ten media day on Thursday, Sherone Moore said he hopes whoever is named Michigan’s starter also displays the traits McCarthy possessed.
“He has the ability to be so smart in pressure situations,” Moore said. “He’s old school, he’s his style, he was always ready to attack. When the big play was on the line, when we needed someone to make the big play, he was always the guy you could count on.”
Michigan’s starting quarterback situation remains up in the air, with names like Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren under consideration heading into fall camp. One of those quarterbacks could be adequate to fill the hole created by McCarthy’s departure, but that’s far from certain.
Michigan’s offense will be driven by the run, just as it was under Harbaugh. Moore, who was also the former offensive line coach at Michigan, has a mantra of “Smash!” and wants to make the offense a physical unit that can force the opposing team to run at will. In fact, as interim head coach last year, Moore called 32 consecutive run plays in a 24-15 win over Penn State. With Blake Collum in the NFL, Michigan’s RB1 will be Donovan Edwards. Edwards will be hoping to continue his strong form in 2024 after scoring two touchdowns in the national championship game against Washington.
Where Michigan remains elite overall is on defense. Wink Martindale is the new defensive coordinator. He was previously the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens. But Jesse Minter coached Martindale’s defensive staff in Baltimore, and the setup remains intact. Michigan returns one of the best cornerbacks in the country in Will Johnson, and two of the best defensive linemen in the country in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.
Michigan can succeed without Jim Harbaugh, but fan expectations should be kept in check. The last time Michigan won a national championship before January was in 1948. Michigan is a powerhouse team, and in the era of the NL and expanded 12-team playoffs, it should be easy to get into championship contention every year. But after losing one of the best head coaches and one of the best quarterbacks in college football, immediate success doesn’t usually carry you to the promised land the following season. Michigan is poised for long-term success, and right now, 12th in total new students in 2025But before any victory comes Sherone Moore, there may be trials and tribulations ahead.
