Sherrone Moore and Brady Smigiel React as Michigan Lands 8th Commitment in June

Do you know what the narrative is looming around Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore? One question: ‘Is Moore under the gun in Year 2?’ Given the current situation, it seems so. After all, the head coach landed in a hot seat as he has been suspended for two games after his alleged involvement with the sign-stealing controversy feat Connor Stalions. But that did not make Moore give up everything and worry about what the future has in store for him. 

Rather, he has taken a deep plunge in the 2026 recruiting race. As per On3’s 2026 Industry Ranking football Team Recruiting Rankings, Moore’s Wolverines stand at No.15 with a total of 15 recruits. They are yet to land a 5-star and at present are a family of eight 4-stars and five 3-stars. Looks like Moore is not in the mood to take a rest. They added yet another 4-star, offensive tackle Marky Walbridge, who now has approval from both the head coach and the class of 2026 quarterback, Brady Smigiel.   

On June 25, Hayes Fawcett posted on IG, “BREAKING: Four-Star OT Marky Walbridge has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits.” Turns out Moore did some great work in the wooing game. After all, the 6’6” and 270-pounder from Needham, MA chose the Wolverines over Alabama & Penn State. And the Michigan head coach and his quarterback are on cloud nine. Going through the list of likes of Fawcett’s IG post, one could spot Moore’s like. And the comment section had Smigiel’s comment that reads, “Let’s go brother! 〽️”.

Looks like the Wolverines are now on a player haul. Walbridge marks Moore’s eighth commitment in the month of June. This month, they have hunted down 4-star defensive lineman Tutan Davis, 4-star EDGE McHale Blade, 4-star WR Zion Robinson, and 4-star defensive lineman Alister Vallejo, along with a couple of others. And what makes Moore lucky with Walbridge? He is the No. 2 player in Massachusetts, the No. 38 offensive tackle nationally. However, this process was not easy. As Walbridge once shared, weight-limit restrictions had curtailed his youth-league experience in football as he often was too heavy to play with kids his own age while growing up. This transformation gave rise to a challenge within himself. “I wanted to push myself to be one of the best on the field because I never got to play (growing up). I wanted to show myself off.”

He will now be joining Moore’s four-star interior lineman, Bear McWhorter of the 2026 class. While Moore must be happy with all the June haul, he was yet to hunt down one of his hot targets. While he has been blessed with someone who took off the load off his shoulders, the final result has not been quite fruitful.

Sherrone Moore’s Michigan falls out of the Felix Ojo sweepstakes despite sincere efforts

The hot target who has enamored Moore, along with a lot of other head coaches like Deion Sanders, is none other than 5-star prospect Felix Ojo. The offensive tackle prospect has already shot down Brent Venables’ Oklahoma, throwing them out of the race. He canceled his visit to the Sooners’ club and clearly stated, “Not needed. Nearing my decision a lot sooner than later.” That’s when Moore could spot a silver lining.

Last season, the Michigan head coach caught a lot of side eyes for locking in the No.1 quarterback prospect, Bryce Underwood, with a $12 million NIL offer. While the quarterback is yet to prove himself on the gridiron, he thought of stirring the pot on the recruiting trail. As Hayes Fawcett reported on June 12, “Michigan QB & 2025 No. 1 Recruit Bryce Underwood is recruiting Five-Star OT Felix Ojo to Michigan 👀〽️.” That’s when the social media interactions between the two went viral. As the No.1 offensive tackle dropped a cryptic message tagging Underwood, “@19bryce._ _ Is this da move?” Things started to take a turn when Underwood dropped a comment under Ojo’s post, “yk what to do.” 

But looks like all this effort has gone to vain. Sherrone Moore is out of the Felix Ojo race. Initially, Steve Wiltfong reported that Ojo viewed Michigan on par with Ohio State and Texas. But not anymore. As the 5-star offensive tackle himself confirmed on June 24, “Right now Texas and Ohio State. Those are the main two.” Sure, missing out on Ojo might sting for Moore, but his recruiting hot streak is more than enough to soothe the burn.