Since Kyle Whittingham took over on Dec.31, he has gone on to overhaul his on-field staff. They let go of Player Personnel Albert Karschnia and even General Manager Sean Magee. Whittingham, though, had one name to take over the GM role. And according to Michigan insider Sam Webb, this key staffer in the Michigan front office was even considering the job. But in the end, he changed his mind.

The head coach will no longer have the support of Sam Popper, the Wolverines’ Director of Recruiting, who will now work as Assistant General Manager at San Diego State. Popper is a UM alum and was at Ann Arbor for two years. He came to Michigan as the assistant recruitment director and jumped to the upper echelon pretty quickly. Popper’s move to SDSU will be his third stint at the G5 level. It’s a massive win for the program because he is one of the most talented and youngest minds in college football recruiting.

Rivals’ Sam Wiltfong noted that Popper was one of the “off-field recruiting stars of the 2026 cycle,” and was particularly “crucial” in building Michigan’s class of 2026. The group is headlined by EDGE Carter Meadows and RB Savion Hiter, the two five-star recruits. 46% of the recruits are blue-chip talents.

Why Kyle Whittingham decided to let go of professionals like Magee can be seen as puzzling. The Wolverines held on to the 11 spot in the 2026 cycle, which is remarkable considering the chaos that unfolded before and during the season. Magee, in particular, was a key factor behind luring Bryce Underwood away from LSU. He also launched Champion’s Collective, one of the country’s first NIL collectives. Things on the recruitment side were looking really positive because Michigan currently has the 15th-best class in the 2027 cycle.

The new head coach seems to be in the mood for starting afresh on all fronts, as he plans his first season with the Wolverines. Now that he has a prime spot open in his staff, he might be looking to fill it with a familiar face.

Is Kyle Whittingham going to call on one of his own?

The current staff at Michigan is football is practically Utah, but in maize and blue. The entire offensive staff, except for RB coach Tony Alford, is all former Utes. Familiarity seems to be a factor behind Whittingham building his staff. That’s why there is a chance that former Utah GM Robert Blechen could also follow his head coach to Ann Arbor, now that the post is empty. In fact, FootballScoop had already reported in January, when Utah hired USC’s Joe D’Orazio as the GM, that Blechen is considering a job on Whittingham’s staff.

The former Utes GM built Utah’s best recruiting class in 2023, which ranked 21 in the nation. Blechen’s players brought back-to-back Pac-12 Championships in the last five years. Though Utah football had taken a hit after that high, he helped resuscitate recruitment by getting players who were good enough to allow Utah to finish 10-2 in 2025. Blechen has clearly been busy – and productive, and a golden opportunity awaits him at Ann Arbor. All that is needed now is for him to sign the line.

While there’s a lot to be excited about in the Kyle Whittingham era at Michigan, there are also some doubts. What worked for him at Utah might not necessarily work at Ann Arbor. Sure, he has the comfort and the already established rapport with his current staff as an advantage, but will they be able to meet the standards at Michigan football?