With the massive controversy and potential fallout surrounding the dismissal of head coach Sherrone Moore, the Michigan Wolverines could be in for a rough free fall. As coaches change, rosters begin to follow, and we’re already seeing the beginnings of cracks forming in the roster with some of their 2026 recruits. There is still the ever-present threat of star quarterback Bryce Underwood transferring, and the subsequent exodus that could occur from that could be immense.

For the Oklahoma Sooners, they would be wise to cast a sharp eye over the Wolverines’ roster to pluck talent where they can for their own benefit. After all, these players know first hand how effective Oklahoma is, given that they drubbed the Wolverines in Norman to begin the season. There are quite a few targets the Sooners should be in hot pursuit of following this saga at Michigan.

WR Andrew Marsh (Fr.)

There’s no doubt in my mind that the Sooners are going to be in heavy pursuit of wide receiver talent out of the transfer portal, and there’s no reason not to. With the departure of Deion Burks and potentially Isaiah Sategna to the NFL, Oklahoma will lose its top two receivers from the year, and the rest of the room hasn’t contributed much this season.

Marsh, on the other hand, rather quickly worked his way into the starting lineup (on a stubborn Michigan coaching staff, mind you) and by the end of the season was Michigan’s passing offense. There’s a reason Marsh was such a coveted recruit, and he proved it right away as a freshman. I have it on good authority that Marsh is locked in with Michigan as long as Bryce Underwood is. If Underwood leaves, that door feels open for Oklahoma to send the house.

OG Jake Guarnera (Soph.)

A lot of people have clamored for highly-coveted five-star Andrew Babalola, who tore his ACL in August and never played a down his freshman season. For my money, however, I don’t think the Sooners need an offensive tackle. With Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje back as starters with Logan Howland and Luke Baklenko returning along with the addition of four-star OT Deacon Schmitt, I think the Sooners have the depth there.

However, the interior might not be as settled. Right guard Febechi Nwaiwu is set to depart, and Heath Ozaeta struggled after injury (hence why he was replaced by Eddy Pierre-Louis). Once Guarnera entered the lineup for the Wolverines, their ground game kickstarted, and his impact was felt right away over at right guard. An All-Big Ten selection in his first year as a starter, I’d feel a lot more comfortable with Oklahoma’s depth on the interior with the addition of a mauler like Guarnera.

LB Cole Sullivan (Soph.)

Oklahoma honored three major contributors at linebacker at Senior Night, highlighting that Kip Lewis, Kobie McKinzie, and Owen Heinecke could all be in their last season with the Sooners. Suddenly, linebacker went from a position of strength to a potential glaring weakness with those departures and little proven depth behind them.

Sullivan emerged as Michigan’s best player at linebacker, making key plays all season long even when it was evident he wasn’t particularly coached well with the Wolverines. Under Brent Venables’ tutelage, I think Sullivan would be a strong addition and help keep the linebacking corps a strength of the Sooners’ defense.

DT Trey Pierce (Jr.)

The Sooners don’t outright need a starting defensive tackle, as David Stone and Jayden Jackson are ready to assume the mantle there, but they do need to shore up their depth there. To ensure their dominant play up front, Oklahoma has maintained a fairly strong rotation all season long with essentially little drop off from player to player, but that will be tested with Gracen Halton and Damonic Williams off to the NFL.

Trey Pierce was comfortably Michigan’s best defensive tackle throughout the season, in my opinion, and I think could step right into Williams’ spot as a key run defender to anchor the middle of their defensive line. I highlighted him as a replacement for Kenneth Grant in the offseason, and he’s filled in that spot admirably.

TE Hogan Hansen (Soph.)

It was an unfortunate season for Hansen in 2025, as he battled injuries all year that clearly kept him from contributing outside of just three games. However, the tape reveals who I thought would be Michigan’s top tight end target this season and looked like he would be a major contributor after a promising freshman season. Even in the shadow of Colston Loveland and Marlin Klein, Hansen flashed encouraging receiving chops, and Michigan was comfortable deploying him all over the formation, even as a true freshman. He was Michigan’s rookie of the year last year for a reason. Hansen’s not just a receiver though, as he has extensive experience as a blocker coming from a Wing-T offense in high school.

The Sooners need anything at tight end, but Hansen holds plenty of promise. After a disappointing year with injury, Hansen could be seeking a fresh start, and Oklahoma has both need and opportunity for his services.

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AJ Schulte