Sherrone Moore Explains Exactly Why Michigan Is So Good With The Transfer Portal
Ever since Michigan finished 2-4 during the Covid-laced 2020 season, Jim Harbaugh can't miss. Every hire he has made, almost every prospect he has landed and just about every transfer has been the right move at the right time. Last year, it was guys like Olu Oluwatimi and Eyabi Okie who really helped solidified Michigan in the trenches. This year, players like Josh Wallace, Ernest Hausmann and AJ Barner are playing a lot of meaningful snaps. But along the offensive line is where we're seeing transfers impact the 2023 Wolverines the most.
Former Stanford Cardinal Drake Nugent is starting at center, while his former teammate out in Palo Alto, Myles Hinton, initially earned the right to start at right tackle. He's been banged up as of late, and has given way to Karsen Barnhart. Over at left tackle, it's LaDarius Henderson. The former Sun Devil has played both left tackle and left guard during his career but looks very comfortable at LT now for U-M.
When asked about why seemingly every single transfer works out perfectly at Michigan, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore gave a perfect answer.
"I think the type of kid that you bring in is huge," he said. "When you go meet these kids, at whatever point, it is to figure out — you can kind of get a feel, especially with an older guy, because his personality is developed and he is who he is, and obviously from a playing standpoint, you can see what type of player he is. But really the bonding point of feeling, 'Will he click with our guys?'",
Moore was quick to use Nugent as an example as someone who fit right in and hit the ground running.
"When I first met Drake, I was like, 'Yeah, he's like [Trevor] Keegan," Moore said with a chuckle. "Myles is a little quiet but we knew Myles really well from Chris [Hinton] being here. And then LD [LaDarius Henderson] was a little different because we didn't know him as much but getting to meet him, he felt like just such a kind, gentle, true soul. You saw him on the film and we saw how good a player he was and figured that he'd be a guy that can sure fit with us. Those things mesh together really well."
Luckily for Michigan, it doesn't stop along the offensive line. Even though Moore only coaches Nugent, Hinton and Henderson as far as transfers go, he can see a common mission for every newcomer on the team.
"You can see the guys meshing with [LaDarius Henderson] and AJ Barner, Jack Tuttle, Josaiah Stewart, all those guys. Those guys are really just...they all have the same goals, same aspirations. They all were the same way and the fits I mean, we feel like we're batting at a high, high percentage with our transfer guys that we brought in and they've all worked for the same purpose, which is really cool."
