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Sherrone Moore is no longer the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He was fired, and later detained, on Wednesday night following a 9-3 season.
Some believe the timing of the firing was strategic. The school waited until after Signing Day to announce its decision.
That will now impact recruits that recently agreed to join the Wolverines‘ 2026 class. Here are their options:
- Enter the transfer portal in the January window
- Wait to see who the next head coach will be
NCAA rule changes were made in 2025. Before, players on the roster could enter the transfer portal immediately after a coach’s firing or departure. Now, they must wait until five days after the replacement is hired.
Josh Pate of On3 Sports believes Michigan wanted to lock its class in before announcing the Sherrone Moore firing. Now, prospects must make a transfer decision as opposed to simply decommitting and joining another program.
How long did Michigan know about its football coach?
“This has been pretty widely speculated behind the scenes for weeks and weeks,” Pate said. “I believe Michigan was taking a wait and see approach.”
There was also an investigation going on behind closed doors. Still, the school let out no hints that there could be an issue.
Pate went onto suggest that Michigan was hoping to fire Sherrone Moore without cause on performance-based grounds. In doing so, they could’ve paid him the $14 million buyout still owed on his contract, though there may have been some negotiation given what we now know.
They were unable to do so. The Wolverines kept winning close games. A 9-3 finish did not warrant a firing. It forced the school’s hand a bit, according to the college football insider.
“There’s one world where the team just doesn’t perform on the field,” Pate continued. “It absolves you from even having to fire someone with cause… When they lost to USC, the clock was ticking, and this was already bubbling behind the scenes…
“Subsequently, the Michigan State game was kind of weird looking, but they won. The Purdue game was close, way too close, but they won. Northwestern, way too close, but they won. I thought if any of those games were losses… that was going to be an 8-4 season.
“I could easily see that as having been enough for them to say, ‘We’re firing Sherrone (Moore) for performance-based reasons.'”
Pate says Michigan was waiting to see how the football season ended. It then had a decision to make on timing given Signing Day.
On-field success would not allow the Wolverines to fire Moore for performance. They could not pay him $14 million to leave.
Now, his buyout is at risk with the for-cause dismissal. His recruits have a choice to make.
What will happen to the Michigan recruiting class?
“It sucks,” four-star QB Peter Bourque said upon hearing the news. “College football is crazy. I loved Coach Moore.”
Bourque is a 2027 prospect. There is still time for him to change his commitment. He made that pledge in August, choosing the Wolverines over suitors like Georgia and Penn State. He may soon re-open his recruitment.
Four-star defensive lineman Alister Vallejo does not have that luxury. He does not have another year of high school to visit campuses and decide on his future. He signed with the Michigan football program last Wednesday, a week before Moore’s dismissal.
With that being said, he seems locked in with the university. “Never been more sure in picking a school and this doesn’t change my mind one bit,” he said.
Unfortunately, not all of his classmates will feel the same. Sherrone Moore’s firing will impact the Wolverines’ 12th-ranked recruiting class. It will be interesting to see how many signees hop in the portal come January.