The offseason ended up being far more chaotic for the Michigan Wolverines than anyone could've expected. Sherrone Moore's tenure came to a shocking end, and the Wolverines were tasked with finding a head coach well after teams already started to hire the top names. Luckily for Michigan, Kyle Whittingham stepping down at Utah proved to be the best thing that could've happened as he was still willing to coach.
The Kyle Whittingham era now begins in Ann Arbor, and it's hard to feel anything, but excited about what lies ahead. Whittingham has constantly built tough teams at Utah, and with the advantages Michigan has, it should only be easier for this staff to build a winner. The hope will be to win a National Championship, and the Wolverines may already have the pieces in place to do so, debuting at #10 in our Way Too Early Top 25 Rankings.
Breaking down the Michigan Wolverines' transfer class
Most Important Addition: John Henry Daley
The biggest star that Kyle Whittingham was able to bring with him from Utah is star pass rusher John Henry Daley. After a quiet start to his career with 1 sack in two seasons, the Utah star exploded for 11.5 sacks, 48 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles. John Henry Daley will instantly fill the role of Derrick Moore giving the Wolverines another star pass rusher.
Sleeper Addition: JJ Buchanan
This season, JJ Buchanan caught 26 passes for 427 yards and 5 touchdowns as a tight end for the Utah Utes. After playing tight end, Buchanan follows his head coach to Ann Arbor, but to play wide receiver. Buchanan gives Bryce Underwood a talented pass catcher with a ton of size who can help give this group more talent on the outside.
Highest Upside Addition: Jaime Ffrench
Bryce Underwood needed new weapons this offseason, and the addition of Texas freshman Jaime Ffrench can't be understated. Last year, Ffrench was a 5-star recruit and one of the most sought-after players in the Country. If Ffrench can live up to the potential in expanded playing time, he and Bryce Underwood can blossom together the next two seasons.
Biggest Loss: Justice Haynes
Michigan already expected to lose Justice Haynes, but when he decided to return to college, Michigan would've preferred if they got him back. In just 7 games, Haynes rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns carrying the offense. The Wolverines will be fine at running back, but Haynes would've been a great piece to bring back.
Grading the offseason for Michigan
Hiring Grade: A+
While Sherrone Moore had a better season than this year, it was also clear that this team didn't have a great coaching staff. Kyle Whittingham and his staff have constantly done more with less especially in this NIL era and pairing him with Michigan's resources should bring a ton of success. Given the timing of the hire, and who Michigan was able to hire, and the Wolverines couldn't have done a better job.
Offensive Grade: B
Considering that Michigan brings Bryce Underwood back, you would've thought that they'd go all-in on the Transfer Portal. JJ Buchanan and Jaime Ffrench are big additions, but ideally Michigan would've landed a proven star wide receiver. The Wolverines didn't do a ton on offense in this class, and you have to hope that it doesn't come back to haunt them.
Defensive Grade: A+
On defense, Michigan couldn't have done a better job with what they brought in via the Transfer Portal. John Henry Daley is one of the crown jewels of this class as he brings elite pass rush ability to Ann Arbor. Smith Snowden is a high level cornerback who will certainly start for Michigan on the outside. Michigan will need to hit on some of the swings they took at linebacker, but there's a ton of talent in this transfer class.
Overall Grade: A-
Given the way that Sherrone Moore's time in Ann Arbor came to a shocking end, the way that this program was able to pivot and react on the fly was impressive. The Wolverines end up with a massive upgrade at head coach, and Whittingham brings some exciting pieces with him. More than anything, Michigan fans should be excited about this staff's ability to develop players as it'll work wonders with some of the pieces already on the roster.