Historically, Michigan’s luck recruiting from the South has not been the best. But the 2025 cycle where Sherrone Moore and Co. were able to flip a handful of top recruits, the momentum has changed. In fact, one of the flips that the Wolverines made happen was just within weeks. “They don’t want me, they need me.” That’s what 4-star safety Jordan Young said about Dabo Swinney when committing to them on November 2, 2024. It didn’t take more than two weeks for Moore’s team to show Young how those words exactly are the problem Clemson has. And turns out, they’re ready to click repeat on the tape once again.

This time, it’s for the 2026 recruitment cycle and a prospect that Moore has kept his eyes on since 2022. The sparks began again when Michigan defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan made a visit to Knoxville, Tennessee, to re-affirm the touted DB Shavar Young of U-M’s interest in him. Interestingly, turns out that while Young wasn’t allowed to visit Ann Arbor due to Clemson’s strict no-visit policy for the commits, he has been in contact with the staff over phone. You know how they say, ‘If you can’t go to them, bring them to you?’ However, he too pressed Dabo and Co., “ Not to worry. I committed for a reason.” But of course, in an era where players believe in ‘No feelings are final’, anything can happen, especially when there are reasons to believe so.

According to sources, the No. 200 recruit in the country per On3, has more connections to the Wolverines. Before, he used to train with Michigan TE signee Eli Owens. Just the previous summer, he worked out with former Wolverine LB Junior Colson. Moreover, his mother, Ashley, seems to be loving U-M as a whole. During their visit before Shavar’s commitment, the “Unique place,” as Ashley puts it, pulled out a parents panel. And although for her, “It was good to hear from those parents about Michigan and the culture there. But most importantly, it was the academic piece that I loved.” So while Shavar praising Clemson for its defensive culture for his development, liking CB coach Mike Reed, and explaining how Tom Allen coming from Penn State as the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator is “going to add to it,” the latest update from analyst Ethan McDowell should be enough for Swinney to lose his good night’s sleep.

On Saturday, Ethan tweeted, “Michigan flipped a Clemson commit last cycle and is looking to do the same with four-star DB Shavar Young 👀👀👀.” Shavar wrapped up his recruitment early, committing to Clemson last August. But going by the current NIL era mindset, Moore knows how to make some profit.

While Clemson and Shavar were still in first gear, things accelerated as Shavar began meeting other coaches. In fact, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, and SMU have also been vying for Young. That’s when he met Michigan’s secondary coach, LaMar Morgan. While he’s still committed to the Tigers and even visited their new defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, signs still point to Moore’s Michigan.

In his visit to Ann Arbor, he developed a strong preference for the Wolverines due to their NFL pipeline. As he explained, “They have a great football culture. They put guys in the league on defense like every year. You’ve seen this past draft. So many guys went to the league. They develop DBs at a very high level. They do it with some of the best in the country.” Although Moore’s program is currently on a recruiting communication timeout, it’s nearing its end.

Meanwhile, Shavar will assess his fit in Moore’s defensive scheme and explore his chances for early playing time. This recruitment is actively driven by Moore’s defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, who plays a personal role. The cornerback shared, “He was talking about how Michigan is the best place to play. In the big house, you play in front of a lot of fans. You get big exposure and a big brand.”

Last time, Swinney’s oversight cost him dearly to Moore. Will history repeat itself?

It’s not just about Shavar Young, as Sherrone Moore has a Clemson fixation

Well, we get the craze to land Shavar. A fresh talent with the No. 299 overall prospect ranking and the No. 17 cornerback and No. 8 player from the state of Tennessee in the 2026 class. Even though the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder had a buffet of more than 30 scholarship offers, Moore’s Michigan approached him before he officially took the head coach position. Yes, you read that right. Michigan offered Shavar all the way back in October 2022, when Steve Clinkscale was still the Wolverines’ DB coach.

Turns out that the attraction is not just with Shavar, but Moore’s squad has got a thing with Clemson. Maybe the flips from Swinney’s squad work out better for him. They did it with 4-star safety Jordan Young. He had committed to the Tigers in November 2024 but then he hit the ‘SWAP’ button and boarded Moore’s program. The reason?

Jordan said, “The recruiting class wasn’t that good at Clemson. I was the only DB at the time, so I didn’t really see a bright future with that. Michigan was hitting up in the recruiting class, getting many guys that could help me, and I can help them as well.” And guess what?

Sherrone Moore’s Clemson haul did not just stop at Jordan Young. His appointed secondary coach, LaMar Morgan, flipped multiple prospects in the 2025 cycle. The list included four-star cornerback Shamari Earls from Georgia, four-star safety Elijah Dotson from Pittsburgh, and very recently, Bryce Underwood from LSU. Can Dabo Swinney pull off a Houdini act before it’s too late?