Let’s rewind for a second. In 2023, Michigan football fans were on top of the college football world, bathing in the afterglow of a national title and the most dominant offensive line room in the country. The trenches were the soul of the team. It wasn’t just that they won games—it was how they won. They controlled the line of scrimmage like a blue-collar symphony, and the man quietly orchestrating it all was Sherrone Moore. Now, fast forward to 2025, and Moore’s not just calling blocking schemes—he’s running the entire show in Ann Arbor. And let’s just say the man’s got a new flavor of momentum, and it’s piping hot.
On June 27, 2026, four-star offensive tackle Malakai Lee went live from Honolulu and gave Michigan fans a taste of the islands. “Michigan is O-line University,” he said. With Alabama, Georgia, and Texas all banging down his door, Lee picked Ann Arbor. And just like that, Sherrone Moore might’ve flipped the script on his head coaching story.
Since taking the reins from Jim Harbaugh, Moore hasn’t shied away from the big-boy battles. He went 8–5 in Year 1 without a marquee QB and still hauled in the No. 6 class nationally. Now? He’s just stacking elite linemen, and folks are starting to see the smoke turning into fire. Just ask the ROC Boys podcast, who broke it down seconds after Malakai made it official.
“Two things I want to note right off the bat,” the host said. “You all know my love that I got for Coach Harbaugh. It feels a little different in the talent acquisition department with Sherrone Moore at the helm. It was very clear early on, when Sherrone Moore took over this program, he felt like, ‘Hey, we can probably squeeze a little bit more out of the talent acquisition that this Michigan program can kind of do.’ We’ve seen that take place over the last 18 months.”
In just 18 months, Moore has flipped the narrative of Michigan’s recruiting identity. Gone is the slow-play, development-heavy formula that defined much of the Harbaugh era. Michigan landed 7 Top-100 recruits in the 2025 class, including Bryce Underwood—yeah, the No. 1 overall player and the biggest QB flip of the NIL era, straight out of Brian Kelly’s palm.
The ROC Boys weren’t done. Their second narrative? It hit even harder. “Number two—the tackle bodies that Michigan is stockpiling within this program—that is one position that is nearly impossible to address in the transfer portal, and it is so difficult to land these caliber bodies from the high school ranks. Go back to Andrew Sprague, then go back to Babs, and then go back to Ty Haywood. Now a guy like Malakai Lee—all of those guys are prototype NFL-caliber tackles. It’s hard to find those kinds of bodies, and Michigan has a bunch of them going over the next couple of years.”
Sherrone Moore made an immediate statement on the recruiting trail—especially in the trenches. He secured two rare five-star offensive tackles in Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood, along with four-star interior linemen Avery Gach and Kaden Strayhorn, giving Michigan one of the most well-rounded offensive line hauls in the country. These lock-ins had Michigan as the No.6 recruiting class in the country.
That success didn’t happen overnight. Moore’s track record as an offensive line coach is a major selling point. He played a key role in Michigan winning back-to-back Joe Moore Awards in 2021 and 2022, and he helped develop NFL-caliber linemen like Zak Zinter, Andrew Stueber, and Olu Oluwatimi. Recruits see the proof—and they’re buying in.
More about Wolverine’s newest recruit: Malakai Lee
Malakai Lee, a four-star offensive tackle from Kamehameha High School in Honolulu, committed to Michigan on Friday, June 27, during a live press conference at his school. He was deliberate in his words and transparent in his thinking. “I think Sherrone Moore being the head coach and Grant Newsome being the O-line coach, you have two line coaches being able to coach you up, so I definitely looked at that in terms of development.”
Lee’s decision followed official visits to all four of his top finalists—Michigan, Alabama, Texas, and Georgia—since early April. But it was the final trip to Ann Arbor, during the June 20–22 weekend, that sealed the deal. “I knew in the back of my head I loved Michigan and loved Ann Arbor,” Lee added. “The official visit just gave me clarity on everything.”
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 325 pounds, Lee is the No. 2 overall player in Hawaii in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the No. 10 offensive tackle and No. 137 overall prospect nationally. His blend of size, balance, and athleticism makes him an ideal left or right tackle prospect at the next level. “From a traits standpoint, offensive linemen don’t come much better looking than Lee,” wrote 247Sports analyst Greg Biggins. “He’s a fluid mover… an easy high Power 4 prospect. If he hits his ceiling, he will be playing football for a very long time.”
Lee joins four-star interior lineman Bear McWhorter and three-star tackle Marky Walbridge as the third OL commit in Michigan’s 2026 class. His commitment gives the Wolverines their sixth top-200 player, and with 15 commits in total, Michigan’s class now ranks No. 13 nationally according to 247Sports. And don’t be surprised if it climbs higher.
The win over Alabama, Georgia, and Texas wasn’t just symbolic—it was strategic. It was a proof of concept. Moore and Newsome went across the country and landed a player who fits the blueprint perfectly. Michigan isn’t chasing stars for headlines. They’re stacking bodies that win games in December and January. Lee’s commitment is one more brick in a wall that’s being rebuilt—stronger than ever.
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