It’s been 9 days since Sherrone Moore’s firing from Michigan closed a rocky chapter filled with off-field drama and a heap of investigation. But it doesn’t erase the impact he had inside the Wolverines’ locker room. Thrust into the head coaching role during a chaotic time, he guided the program through adversity and left a lasting impression on his players. And tight end/leader of the team, Marlin Klein, can personally vouch for just how much the former coach’s impact meant to the team.

“Coach Moore was the person who gave me the chance to change my life forever and change my family’s life,” Klein said at the December 19th press conference. “He offered me in 10th grade, and then he ended up being the head coach here. A lot of guys on this team got recruited by him who are on the team right now. It’s been a hard time seeing someone like that. When stuff like that happens, and you feel for him, and you pray for him and his family.”

It’s true. It’s a very tough time going on for the Moores. As it is, the firing for cause brings about a lot of embarrassment for Moore and his wife, Kelli. It’s all just a mess at this point, and Klein knows that. The Michigan captain’s journey to Ann Arbor is anything but typical.

He was born in Germany, but his dream was always to play American football at the highest level. To make that happen, Klein moved to the United States and transferred to Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, a boarding school in Georgia, where the competition and exposure were on a completely different level. That move turned out to be life-changing. It was during this time that Sherrone Moore entered the picture.

Moore was Michigan’s tight ends coach at the time. He recruited Klein straight out of Germany while he was still in the 10th grade. For Klein, the chance to play for a powerhouse college program in the U.S. opened doors both on and off the field. Klein has said he made the leap because he wanted to compete against the best of the best. And his parents fully backed him, trusting his vision and taking a big leap of faith with him.

“What Michigan set apart from all the other schools is definitely just the relationship with my coach, Coach [Sherrone] Moore,” Marlin Klein said in a video posted to his Twitter account five years ago. “He did a great job recruiting me, and it just felt like home. The weather up there it just felt like Germany. The weather, the campus, it’s just beautiful up there. I know it’s early for a commitment, but once I step on campus, I will actually see it’s the right place for me for the next couple of years. So, it just felt like home, and I want to be there, so I committed to the University of Michigan.”

Once he arrived at Michigan, Klein appeared in two games as a freshman before redshirting the season. By 2023, he helped power a national championship run, played in 10 games, and recorded his first collegiate catch. It was an eight-yard grab that capped off a memorable year. Moore has consistently pointed to Klein’s overall growth, especially when it comes to his development as a pass catcher.

He said Klein has “just gotten better and better” because he studied teammates like Luke Schoonmaker, Eric All, and Colston Loveland and picked up the small details from their games. That improvement showed up big way in one standout performance. Against New Mexico this season, Klein led the team with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Moore never sugarcoated things as he was just as quick to point out Klein’s flaws.

“We knew he could block, and he’s still got stuff to work on in that phase,” Moore said. “Right now, he’s grinding on that; there’s a standard and level you want. But he still played really well in the run game.”

Marlin Klein’s firm stance on his future 

No matter the situation at Ann Arbor, Marlin Klein has drawn a clear line in the transfer‑portal era. Klein told reporter Brice Marich that he will “never transfer from Michigan.” He clarified that his only options after this season are to enter the NFL Draft or return to Ann Arbor in 2026. That stance lands with added weight, given the chaos surrounding the program following the Sherrone Moore incident.

This is a major distraction for the players as they prepare for the Citrus Bowl against Texas. Klein’s declaration comes after a year in which he was named a team captain. He became an early‑season favorite target for freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood before receivers Andrew Marsh and Donaven McCulley emerged later in the schedule. Klein racked up 20 receptions for 209 yards while also providing some help in blocking.

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His commitment carries even more weight as Michigan heads into a bowl matchup as the underdog against the Longhorns’ defense. The unit features All‑SEC first‑team standouts Michael Taaffe at safety and Colin Simmons at defensive tackle. Texas held Michigan in check in Ann Arbor the previous season when the Wolverines were led by former walk‑on quarterback Davis Warren and a bad offense under Kirk Campbell. However, this year’s group has shown more explosive potential despite fading late against Ohio State.