What Sherrone Moore was able to do during his first 30 days as the head football coach at the University of Michigan should not go unnoticed. The successor to Jim Harbaugh was able to retain the vast majority of players on his roster while other college football programs tried to lure them away with NIL.
Now, there are a few caveats to that statement to get out of the way:
- The national championship team from last season is stripped down to nuts and bolts. Most of the starting-22 is set to graduate or enter the NFL Draft pool.
- Players transferred out of Michigan before Harbaugh left for the job in Los Angeles.
- There is a second transfer window after the spring practice period that could lead to a mass exodus of players who are either not going to see the field next season or do not vibe with the new staff. It is possible that the guys who stayed in Ann Arbor will still leave down the road.
However, only third-string safety Keon Sabb entered the transfer portal after Harbaugh’s departure, which opened up a 30-day transfer window. Everybody else chose to stay. That is an impressive rate of retention.
Moore deserves a lot of credit— especially considering what he was up against!
Only eight players with any starting experience are set to return for the 2024/25 season:
- Running back Donovan Edwards
- Edge rusher Josaiah Stewart
- Safety Makari Paige
- Defensive lineman Mason Graham
- Cornerback Will Johnson
- Tight end Colston Loveland
- Offensive lineman Myles Hinton
- Defensive lineman Kenneth Grant
One of those players received a seven-figure offer to transfer. We don’t know who, but it was likely one of the first five.
According to a parent who spoke with The Athletic on the condition of anonymity, his or her son was offered “roughly $1.75 million to play next season at a different school” which was “significantly more” than the athlete was earning at Michigan. That athlete still chose to stay.
Perhaps the Wolverines’ NIL collective stepped up to match. Perhaps Moore and the culture in Ann Arbor was enough.
Either way, a returning starter at the University of Michigan turned down approximately $1.75 million to stay put. That is a big deal!