Replenish and retool. That’s the blueprint, the modus operandi that every head coach across the College Football sphere invariably lives by in the off-season. Michigan’s Sherrone Moore certainly is no exception to the norm. As a program that’s a conveyor belt of talent for the NFL ranks, they actually need to adhere to this more than most. As is the nature of collegiate sport, myopic shortsightedness is a cardinal sin. You’ve got to look longer term to keep the wheel spinning and churning results seamlessly. The 2026 recruiting class is already on Coach Moore’s checklist before the ‘25 season has even commenced. And he’s piecing it together rather nicely.

Losing Colston Loveland means there’s inadvertently going to be a bit of a drop-off at the tight end position. The first-round NFL Draft pick was a Swiss Army Knife of sorts for Sherrone Moore last year. Blocking in the run game and receiving catches downfield alike, with equal pomp. But it seems like the maize and blue wouldn’t miss Loveland for too long. A very capable successor has just committed to the Wolverines. 

Class of ‘26 TE Matt Ludwig has confirmed his allegiances with Michigan. “BREAKING: Four-Star TE Matt Ludwig has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits. The 6’4 250 TE from Billings, MT chose the Wolverines over Texas Tech, Georgia, & Notre Dame,” reported On3’s Hayes Fawcett over on his IG handle. Ludwig is the No.1 player from Montana among his contemporaries, and also played defense in high school. That Swiss Army Knife comp to Loveland wasn’t unfounded. This is someone who possesses every tool in his repertoire to contribute to the Wolverines. Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Steve Casula will be thrilled to land their guy.

247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins waxed lyrical about Matt Ludwig as he heads into his senior year at Billings West. “Ludwig is arguably the best prospect to come out of the Big Sky State in the last decade, if not longer,” he said. Talk about superlatives. Biggins called Matt Ludwig a “natural” with his hands who is multidimensional and versatile. Someone who’s got the “bounce” and athleticism to make a difference at the collegiate level. “He projects as a high Power 4 prospect and someone with a definite NFL ceiling to him,” added Biggins. Safe to say Sherrone Moore’s got himself one. UMich just got its latest heir in a strong lineage of skill position guys to have traversed through Ann Arbor.

The past fortnight or so hasn’t been too kind to Coach Moore. He learned about an imminent suspension in the infamous sign-stealing scandal from the John Harbaugh regime. Then, reports of his 5-star quarterback stalwart, Bryce Underwood, leaving the program abruptly spawned on the airwaves and began gaining traction. That discourse has largely quelled now. But one very recent indictment on his team, in particular one player, undercuts the positivity around Matt Ludwig’s decision.

Sherrone Moore’s acquisition of Matt Ludwig follows on from an oversight by ESPN

ESPN’s Max Olsen was bound to ruffle some feathers when he unveiled a list of the Top 100 transfer portal acquisitions ahead of the ’25 season. Sherrone Moore and co. have leaned fairly heavily on the portal to plug holes within the roster. Naturally, there was an expectancy that the list will include some Michigan Wolverines. Which it does. However, one player’s absence has triggered some outrage within fans who receive such lists rather earnestly.

Tailback Justice Haynes, who has arrived in Ann Arbor from Bama, ranked 37th on Olsen’s list. As someone who averaged north of 6.6 yards a carry in the SEC last year, it’s hard to argue this placement. Another player from Coach Moore’s roster that made the cut, just about, is Tre Williams. The defensive tackle arrived from Clemson in the winter portal window and slotted in at #97. But the story is the guy who missed out completely, wideout Dovaven McCulley. You’d think going from Indiana to Michigan boosts his prominence in the national media. But that doesn’t seem to have transpired. McCulley projects as someone with genuine potential to be WR1 for Sherrone Moore’s offense.

Alas, subjective hypotheticals such as this list are often rendered futile come fall. Coach Moore and Michigan can focus on their very tangible and very promising new TE instead. Matt Ludwig’s imminent arrival at this blueblood program signals things are headed in the right direction for what was a fractured offense in 2o24. Bryce Underwood’s arrival shifted the dynamic, and adding a new weapon for him to target ’26 onwards nudges it further towards improvement.