Guess who has been crowned the Flip Master in the arena of college football? That’s none other than Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore. Well, the Wolverines might be having a lot of problems when it comes to Jim Harbaugh’s successor. But Moore whitewashed his image by taking part in the big chase to flip the No.1 quarterback recruit, Bryce Underwood, from the LSU Tigers. Now full of confidence, Moore isn’t stopping, and he’s starting something new. Last time, Brian Kelly did not lock the doors at the right time. This time, who is going to face Kelly’s fate?

It’s Hugh Freeze.

Shadarius Toodle, a four-star On300 linebacker from Mobile, Alabama, committed to Auburn in July 2024. But again, gone are those days when commitment meant a done deal. Now players keep themselves open with the process of visiting schools. And Toodle also falls into that list. He knows that programs will try to give him the moon and stars to bring him home. After all, he was selected by the Navy All-American Bowl Selection Committee. Only 100 football players receive the honor of wearing the Navy All-American Bowl jersey each year. While this is indeed a proud moment for Freeze to flex, the fear of losing Toodle is also magnified 100x.

On May 23, TheWolverine.com tweeted, “Michigan is working hard to steal On300 LB Shadarius Toodle away from Auburn and will host him for an OV next weekend.” 

Right now, he is taking the moment to seek approval from his family as his search for the “best fit” continues. And Sherrone Moore is leaving no stones unturned. Their mission is to flip Toodle away from the in-state Tigers.

For this, Moore has appointed his linebackers coach, Brian Jean-Mary, to drive the mission. The coach even made a trip down to the Gulf Coast to woo the player and his family. Moore’s staffer carries with him a strong resume, having made previous stops at Tennessee and South Florida, and coached star players like Marcus Smith and Preston Brown, among others. “Coach BJ said he likes my versatility and that I could play there in many different ways,” Toodle said. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is at the top of Moore’s wishlist and could be an early impact player at MIKE in Michigan’s defensive scheme. Now, what is Toodle saying about the Wolverines’ big push?

Well, he had the golden chance to watch Moore’s defense closely during his first-ever visit last month, in April. And Toodle gave a great review after the visit. “I loved the competition at practice and the way the guys got after it. I got to talk to the head coach (Moore). He was great. I liked how he stepped in when Coach (Jim) Harbaugh got suspended. We had a great talk. Overall, the visit was great.” The clock’s ticking for the Wolverines to make the final push as Toodle will be back in Ann Arbor for his official visit next weekend. Now will Moore have the field all to himself? Definitely not.

Bad timing for Sherrone Moore as he slides in rankings

Already Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are ready to hunt Toodle down. The linebacker paid a visit to Athens last weekend (May 17-18). After this official visit, sources tell On3 that Georgia is “very high” on Toodle’s list. Much like Moore’s strategy, Smart’s staffers also made it a priority to make Toodle feel at home. So, Glenn Schumann and Chidera Uzo-Diribe landed in Mobile and headed straight to the linebacker’s home.

Even before that, on Toodle’s official visit, the entire family was there. That’s when Georgia left a deep mark on the Toodle fam by answering all their questions. Meanwhile, he has struck off his official visit to North Carolina and Florida. So, it’s the race between the final two: Moore vs. Smart.

While everything looked fine for Michigan, a new trouble sprouts for Moore, in particular. Under him, the Wolverines defeated their archrivals, Ohio State, as a 20-point underdog, then beat Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. But it looks like not everyone is high on what Moore has done at Michigan.

On May 22, CBS Sports released a list in which they ranked every coach in college football for the 2025 season. And Sherrone Moore found himself in the No.58 spot. During his debut year, he was ranked at No.52 last season, which means he dropped six spots from a year ago. Unfortunately, this must not be the case, as the Wolverines’ schedule is much softer compared to last season. Now, will this make Shadarius Toodle hit reverse gear for Michigan?