With the veteran head coach Kyle Whittingham in the driver’s seat, the Michigan Wolverines must be riding high on expectations. But the recent coaching shakeup left holes across the staff. Matt Campbell’s Penn State complicated this situation. They are now attempting to stir the pot by recruiting a Michigan commit. 

“Penn State offered Michigan offensive line commit Louis Esposito on Monday, and he discussed what it means for him moving forward @Lions247,” reported 247Sports’ analyst Tyler Calvaruso.

The Wolverines underwent a major coaching shakeup, losing nine coaches, including former head coach Sherrone Moore. Some losses included offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and offensive line coach Grant Newsome. But defensive line coach Lou Esposito’s departure is now turning out to be costly, since he is the father of Whittingham’s offensive line commit Louis Esposito.

The 6’4” and 255-pounder from Saline High School in Michigan has been committed to the Wolverines since July 2025. Being a standout offensive lineman, Louis would not have played directly under his father, defensive line guru Lou. However, somewhere deep down, he looked forward to playing at the same college where his father calls plays. But the NFL had other plans. 

Whittingham lost Lou to the Baltimore Ravens. Michigan’s coach likely didn’t expect the departure to have repercussions beyond the coaching staff. The Wolverines expected a homegrown promotion from Whittingham, with defensive line assistant David Denham stepping in to fill the void. But ultimately, the head coach counted on Larry Black, who’s been running that position group at Vanderbilt for the last four seasons.

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As an offensive player, Louis wouldn’t be directly impacted by the defensive coaching staff. While playing with his father around must have been a big reason for his commitment to the Wolverines, Grant Newsome must have been another reason for joining Whittingham’s program. While Louis committed to Ann Arbor before the 2025 season began, he stood firm on his decision. So, we can assume he waited to see how the Wolverines’ offensive line developed under Newsome. 

Newsome’s departure creates one major question mark for the offensive line, but it’s not the only recruiting challenge Michigan faces in the wake of its staff turnover. The program also recently lost a commitment from four-star quarterback Peter Bourque.

The timing could not have been sweeter for Penn State. With Campbell now lurking around the Whittingham’s offensive line commit, the Wolverines already had a costly loss in the offense. In February, the 2027 class four-star quarterback commit Peter Bourque decommitted from the Wolverines. Campbell’s Nittany Lions are also heavily pursuing him to bring him home, along with Georgia and Virginia Tech Hokies. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to Louis, it will be the fight between Whittingham’s trusted lieutenant and Penn State’s new offensive line coach, Ryan Clanton.  

Matt Campbell’s trusted coach’s magic vs Kyle Whittingham’s staff’s legacy 

The 2026 season will follow a similar trajectory for both Michigan and Penn State. Much like Whittingham, Campbell, the Nittany Lions’ new head coach, has also been carrying out a coaching roster revamp. As part of the process, last year in December, he counted on Clanton as the Nittany Lions’ offensive line coach. 

Whittingham is known for hiring staff he worked with at Utah. Similarly, Campbell has brought in his own trusted coach, as Clanton coached under him at Iowa State for the last three seasons. In that case, Louis’ commitment might come down to who is the better coach. 

Case 1: Clanton’s magic in the trenches is undeniable. Iowa State’s ground game went from 108 yards per game to 174.5 in 2025. Meanwhile, the Cyclones gave up just 51 sacks over those three seasons, the eighth-fewest among Power Four programs.

Case 2: Former Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding’s offensive lines paved the way for 1,000-yard rushers in eight of 12 seasons in Salt Lake City, including an impressive six-year streak from 2014-19.

With his dad, Lou Esposito, already headed to the NFL, will his son Louis Esposito stand by his pledge to Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan, or will he show interest in Happy Valley?