Michigan’s turbulent 2025 season just keeps getting messier. Anthony Simpson, the 5-foot-11 wide receiver who transferred in from UMass last offseason, entered the transfer portal on Friday. But Simpson didn’t just quietly slip into the portal and disappear, though. He took to X with a bombshell accusation that’s got folks in Ann Arbor wondering just how deep the dysfunction ran under Sherrone Moore. 

“Targets vs non-targets, I was the best slot receiver for Michigan, and I was treated unfairly due to Sherrone Moore being blackmailed by players and staff members. Which jeopardized my opportunity to get on the field. Fastest player on the team, and I won reps every day in practice. Only there for fall camp. Our team captains also advocated for me to play. I was denied fairness.” Simpson wrote on X as he declared for the transfer portal. 

Could there be any truth to Simpson’s accusation? Sherrone Moore was fired for cause on December 10 after a university investigation found credible evidence that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. If anyone within the program knew about Moore’s relationship before it became public, then Simpson’s claim could be true. Simpson’s claim specifically mentions “players and staff members,” which casts a wide net. But the college football community has already connected the dots. James T. Yoder, host of Michigan Football Report, has his interpretation of Simpson’s accusations. 

“Former Michigan WR Anthony basically claiming that Semaj Morgan knew about Sherrone Moore’s affair and blackmailed him to remain starting WR and punt returner. The Moore era was so disgraceful,” he said.

Morgan, a Detroit native who’d been with the program since 2023, was a two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention as a return specialist and held onto both his starting receiver spot and punt return duties throughout the 2025 season despite inconsistent production. 

He caught just 20 passes for 223 yards all season while Simpson watched from the sideline. But no one can verify Simpson’s claim or the truth about Morgan’s involvement in this. Morgan entered the transfer portal himself on January 2, just weeks after the season imploded. If Simpson’s telling the truth about captains advocating for him while someone else maintained their starting role regardless of performance, it paints an ugly picture of a program where playing time wasn’t earned on the field but negotiated through blackmail.

Some stability emerges from the wreckage

Amid all the chaos and accusations swirling around Ann Arbor, at least some things are trending in the right direction. Over the past 48 hours, a wave of Michigan players have posted the team’s “LFG147” graphic on social media to announce they’re sticking around for 2026.

Leading that group is sixth-year safety Rod Moore, the two-time captain who nearly left for the NFL Draft after Michigan’s 2023 national championship but returned to finish his degree and improve his draft stock. Moore’s career has been defined by brutal timing. He tore his ACL in the spring of 2024 and missed that entire season. He then had meniscus surgery and managed only three games in 2025 before soreness shut him down again. 

Top Stories

Sean Payton Confirms Bo Nix’s Season Is Over, Announces Immediate Update on Broncos QB’s Horrific Injury

NFL Makes Punishment Decision on Jordan Love Incident After Wild Card Loss to the Bears

Emotional Josh Allen Airs Refs’ Dirty Laundry as Bills’ Sean McDermott Erupts After Broncos Loss

CBS Makes Final Decision on Firing Tony Romo as Cowboys Legend Announces Health Struggles – Report

Sean McDermott Erupts Against Refs’ Controversial Decision After Josh Allen Breaks Silence on Brandin Cooks Incident

Reactions Pour In as Jordan Spieth’s Strange On-Course Moves Catch Fans Off Guard

But he is nothing if not loyal. And his decision to return gives Michigan’s depleted secondary a proven leader with 147 career tackles and seven interceptions, including that game-sealing pick against Ohio State in 2023 that sent the Wolverines to their third straight Big Ten title game.​

Defensive tackle Trey Pierce made his return official as well. This decision became far more likely after Michigan added his younger brother Christian from Western Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Pierce started all 13 games in 2025 and was a cornerstone of Michigan’s run defense. He finished with 30 tackles.

Also announcing returns were defensive linemen Nate Marshall and Dom Nichols. Linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, defensive back Shamari Earls, and tight end Zack Marshall are all returning. It’s hardly the flashiest group of returners. But after whatever has transpired in Michigan, having any sort of continuity feels like a minor miracle.