Michigan Wolverines lose playmaker to transfer portal, but Sherrone Moore is still building bright future for Bryce Underwood
Michigan WRs are a big problem, but Wolverines staff can fix it
The Michigan Wolverines offense is already in dire need of better pass catchers and they just lost one to the transfer portal this week in Fred Moore. He won’t technically be able to enter the portal immediately, but Moore has decided to step away from the team to redshirt the 2025 season–avoiding losing a year of playing eligibility. What does this mean for Michigan fans?
Truthfully, the impact of losing Moore specifically won’t be significant since he had failed to earn a more meaningful role this season, but one of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the country just got a little thinner. Sherrone Moore and his staff must recognize that they need to take huge leaps forward in wide receiver recruiting to help five star freshman phenom quarterback Bryce Underwood. Otherwise, he’s not going to want to stick around for long, and even if he does his playmakers will stifle his development.
Key Stats for Fred Moore and Michigan WRs
- Fred Moore had only played 18 offensive snaps & caught zero passes in a year where he should have had real opportunity to step up.
- Not a single Michigan wide receiver is averaging even 50 yards per game in 2025. Only Donaven McCulley is averaging more than 36 receiving yards per game.
- Michigan wide receivers have caught just one receiving touchdown on the season through four games.
- Semaj Morgan is the only WR to catch 60% of his intended targets.
Michigan WRs a huge problem that keeps getting worse
Entering the 2025 season it was clear that Michigan might have a wide receiver problem, but the Wolverines staff was hopeful one of a few different players could step up. Fred Moore, a third year wide receiver with the team, was one of those talents.
Unfortunately for him, he ultimately lost the position battle to Channing Goodwin who has flashed a couple times this season. Once Moore realized that he was not only behind Goodwin, but Andrew Marsh, Kendrick Bell, and Anthony Simpson were also out-snapping him it likely became clear it was time to move on.
While losing Fred Moore might not hurt much, almost no wide receiver can consistently create their own separation, make tough catches, or seem to generate any amount of offensive rhythm with Bryce Underwood through the air.
Yes, Donaven McCulley broke loose on a couple busted coverages against Oklahoma. Semaj Morgan got schemed open nicely on his lone touchdown on an early play against Central Michigan. Channing Goodwin made one impressive play on a deeper in-cutting route all the way back in week one against New Mexico. Outside of those few plays Michigan’s wide receiver production has been nonexistent.
Both Morgan and Goodwin have four drops on less than 20 targets. Andrew Marsh, the hopeful high pedigree true freshman, has just one catch on the season. There are signs of life at wide receiver this year. There are still several games for one or two players to develop, but how in the world is Michigan going to keep Bryce Underwood in town if they don’t fix the position?
Future could be bright for Bryce Underwood if Sherrone Moore signs WRs
There is some good news. Sherrone Moore and his staff still have a trio of wide receivers locked in and committed for 2026 in Travis Johnson, Zion Robinson, and Jaylen Pile. Johnson and Robinson project to be real deal perimeter threat wide receivers. Pile is a speedster who likely takes over the Morgan gadget or slot role.
Michigan is also in the mix to land six possible four and five star talents at wide receiver in the 2027 recruiting class right now too, but at that point Underwood will already be a junior.
Moore needs to figure out a way to make a splash this upcoming offseason in the transfer portal and lock in more elite recruits for Underwood. The passing game is just not good enough and Colston Loveland isn’t coming back to save the offense.
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