Imagine catching yourself with your hand inside the cookie jar, repeatedly. That’s the Michigan Wolverines now. Michigan orchestrated a three-season-long, off-campus sign-stealing operation under former staffer Connor Stalions. After a thorough investigation, the NCAA has imposed sweeping penalties: fines exceeding $30 million, a three-game suspension for HC Sherrone Moore. 25% reduction in scholarships for the coming year, and a 14-week recruiting restriction.
Yet, in a decision that has drawn both surprise and debate, the NCAA declined to issue a postseason ban. Many have reasoned that punishing current players for the actions of former staff wouldn’t be fair. But despite being in this massive controversy and facing all this scrutiny, Michigan hasn’t lost its mojo where it counts. The Wolverines continue to dominate the recruiting game. They also successfully hold on to top-tier commits, that rival programs eager to take advantage of the scandal fallout have attempted to pry away. Offensive lineman Bear McWhorter, is one such prospect who had the SEC powerhouses Georgia and Florida circling him like hawks.
“SEC schools still push for Michigan OL commit Bear McWhorter, but he’s not interested,” Wolverines’ recruiter Ethan McDowell writes on X. “He’s extremely close with @grant_newsome and is focused on joining the Wolverines in a few months.” McWhorter is a hefty 6-foot-3, 308-pound interior offensive lineman from Georgia. They named him after the legendary Bear Bryant. He might have been destined to end up in the deep South’s football cauldron, especially considering the pull of nearby Alabama. But nope, Michigan rolled up with head coach Sherrone Moore and the offensive line coach Grant Newsome, wooing him hard.
SEC schools still push for Michigan OL commit Bear McWhorter, but he’s not interested.
He’s extremely close with @grant_newsome and is focused on joining the Wolverines in a few months.
“He’s just like a part of our family now”
More here: https://t.co/uCU3Qym9Ii pic.twitter.com/hWvuaeMyaT
— Ethan McDowell (@ethanmmcdowell) August 16, 2025
He even committed to Arkansas for nearly a year before reopening his recruitment and grabbing Michigan’s offer. Grant Newsome still reaches out to him as he starts his senior season at Cartersville (Ga.) Cass High. “He’s [Newsome] just like a part of our family now, and it’s been really, really cool,” McWhorter said. “No communication has slowed down or stopped since I committed there, and I tell them all the time they don’t need to keep calling me. I’m locked in, I’m not going anywhere, but they still do.” McWhorter quietly refused the SEC staff members who approached him, as he wanted to settle in the fields of Ann Arbor.
In Sherrone Moore’s absence, who’s wearing the headset?
With Sherrone Moore facing a two-year show-cause penalty and an additional third-game suspension, the Michigan football program finds itself in a bit of a leadership dilemma. Moore’s suspension means he will miss the Wolverines’ games against Central Michigan, Nebraska, and the 2026 season opener against Western Michigan. Plus, they bar him from attending practices during those games. So, who is stepping up to fill the void? First up, Biff Poggi, the associate head coach, seems like the logical pick.
Poggi has deep roots in the program, having worked with Jim Harbaugh and been involved with Michigan football since 2016. He is even the winningest high school coach in Gilman High’s history with 13 national championships under his belt. However, his lone collegiate head coaching gig at UNC Charlotte did not go so well. They fired him after a 6-16 record. Then there’s Chip Lindsey, the offensive coordinator who swooped in last season to save Michigan’s offense from tanking. He is not exactly a rookie, having been head coach at Troy University with a 15-19 record.
Lindsey could be just the spark Michigan needs to keep its offense rolling while Moore is sidelined. On the defensive side, Don “Wink” Martindale is another candidate. Martindale’s NFL chops are impressive, winning the Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award for top assistant coach and nearly landing the Raiders’ head coaching job in the past. He could bring a defensive mindset to a program that historically thrives under such leadership. Finally, there is always a dark horse in Lou Esposito, the defensive line coach, who might throw his hat in the ring as an interim leader.
The post Sherrone Moore Receives Major Update on 2026 Michigan Commit After NCAA Announces Another Suspension appeared first on EssentiallySports.