After Sherrone Moore got fired from Michigan, many expected a mass exodus and massive attrition to follow. But interim head coach Biff Poggi stabilized the program and didn’t let that happen. Now, Ann Arbor has found its new head coach, Kyle Whittingham, who already loves the locker room but also knows what comes next for them.

“They care about academics, they want to be at Michigan, and that was the real mission,” Kyle Whittingham said upon featuring on College GameDay on January 1. “I was amazed. I mean, there was not a bad guy in the bunch, literally, and every guy that I visited was excited to be at Michigan now.

“That doesn’t mean they’re all going to stay. You get the transfer portal. There’s going to be some activity. But I came away very impressed, and it’s a great group of guys.”

He is correct. Many players choose a particular program because they are interested in working with a particular coach. But when that coach leaves for another school or is fired, the players he recruited might not have much of a reason to stay put. Take Matt Ludwig and Bear McWhorter as an example. Both players requested to be released by Michigan after Moore’s firing, and it was granted.

At times, even the coaching staff may follow the head coach to a new program. That’s what happened when Whittingham came to Michigan, bringing Jason Beck with him.

Regardless, the job that Biff Poggi and later Kyle Whittingham have done to retain the rest of the players is undoubtedly commendable. So far, only five UM players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal. That includes veteran QBs Davis Warren, Jadyn Davis, safety Evan Boutorwick, and lineman Connor Jones, and WR Fredrick Moore.

None of the five departures significantly alters Michigan’s outlook. The staff is well-positioned to address those losses through the transfer portal or internally from its 2026 recruiting class.

Michigan has retained the bulk of its legacy commitments, and the 2026 class currently ranks 12th nationally, with 46% of its prospects being blue-chips. Between the portal and a deep, talent-rich class, Whittingham should have no trouble identifying replacements for the outgoing players.

Immediately after Moore’s firing, Poggi hosted a Zoom call with 2026 signees and parents, eventually assuring them a replacement for Moore within a month.

Many players felt betrayed by Moore, but Poggi and his staff consistently stayed in touch with them and highlighted Michigan’s “unique position” after Moore’s departure. Thereafter, when Kyle Whittingham came to Ann Arbor, the former Utah head coach also did some work in that regard.

Kyle Whittingham is stabilizing Michigan after Moore’s tumultuous departure

Quickly upon his arrival, Whittingham traveled to Orlando for Michigan’s bowl game against Texas and met players in person. Plus, he spent 24 hours in individual and group sessions and spoke with more than 20 parents. Thereafter, the head coach spent 45 minutes with star QB Bryce Underwood to dissuade him from switching camps. “Great conversation with him. I did a lot of listening,” Whittingham said after meeting Underwood.

Even in his press conference, the head coach prioritized retaining players.

“Immediate priorities — roster retention… It’s all about players, college football is all about players, and if you have good players, you’ve got a chance,” the head coach said earlier this week. The next step seems natural: staff rebuild. To do that, Whittingham has now hired his old offensive coordinator, Jason Beck from Utah, for the same role in Ann Arbor.

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“That’s huge for us and and Jason did such a great job for us this past season, and we were fifth in the nation in total offense and 4th in scoring, second in rushing offense,” Whittingham said about Beck’s hiring a day ago. “So he’s a guy that’s moved the football and scored points everywhere he’s been. And it’s going to be a big plus having him here in Ann Arbor.”

2025 was Beck’s only season with Utah under Whittingham. The Utes’ offense ranked fifth in scoring and averaged 41.3 points per game. The team also ranked No. 1 in yards per rush (6.02) and second in rushing yards per game (266.3).

Beck was also the offensive coordinator at New Mexico in 2024 and at Syracuse in 2023.