Michigan Football: Can Wolverines land Dante Moore and CJ Carr?

There are some interesting dynamics at work with Michigan football recruiting that leads you to believe it will be tough to land both Dante Moore and CJ Carr. 

Everybody knows Michigan football’s top recruiting target in the 2023 recruiting class — Dante Moore and really, it’s been that way for years.

Jim Harbaugh offered Moore when he was a middle schooler and while the Wolverines aren’t seen as the leader anymore — that title belongs to Notre Dame — Michigan football appears to be shifting things, at least a little, back in its direction.

Moore is set to visit Michigan football soon and this visit could really turn the tide. He recently visited Notre Dame but left South Bend without a commitment.

Notre Dame has done a great job of building its relationship with Moore. However, the Irish aren’t really known for having a high-powered offense and it seems as though the visit didn’t go as well as it could have.

Still, the Irish have an 89 percent chance of landing Moore according to the On3.com prediction machine. Yet, there’s time for the Wolverines to move that needle. It starts with the next visit and really with Jim Harbaugh becoming more involved.

Harbaugh was essential in landing both Donovan Edwards and Will Johnson. Both of those recruitments were up in the air too and at times, Michigan even trailed. That’s a fact.

Harbaugh wasn’t the only reason, but he helped turn things around in each instance. He knows how to connect with players and he’s been recruiting Dante since he was in Middle School.

That and Moore’s ties to the program, plus the fact that he’s from Detroit, still leads me to believe that Michigan football can win this recruitment. But what will that mean for CJ Carr?

Because in his latest reporting (subscription required), Holland wrote that the commitment of Moore to Michigan football could have an impact on Carr and it’s easy to see why.

Why getting Moore and Carr won’t be easy

Moore wants to play right away. At Notre Dame, that’s much more realistic than at Michigan, where five-star J.J. McCarthy is still waiting in the wings.

Even if McCarthy wins the job this year, he would be back next season, and assuming he left early for the NFL draft, Moore wouldn’t be able to start until he was a sophomore in 2024.

Then, given the likelihood that Moore plays two seasons and heads to the NFL if all goes according to plan, the job wouldn’t be open for Carr until 2026.

As much as CJ Carr might love Michigan football, seeing as his grandfather is former head coach Lloyd Carr, he might not be willing to wait three years to take over the starting job. He’s a top-50 QB in his own right and who knows, maybe even a five-star when it’s all said and done.

Without Moore, the path for Carr to eventually start is much clearer. McCarthy would likely be the guy in 2023 and maybe 2024. Then, Carr would be able to take over during his sophomore season, theoretically giving him two seasons at the helm before he turns pro.

The good news for Michigan football is that it seems there is a very good chance it will get either Moore or Carr. The Wolverines have a slew of crystal ball projections when it comes to Carr and has a 92-percent chance of winning his commitment according to On3.

If Moore isn’t part of the 2023 recruiting class, then it’s basically a lock that Carr is going to wind up with the Wolverines. However, the potential of a crowded QB room could be an issue for both quarterback recruits and it will be up to Michigan to resolve that.

It’s also why landing a top signal-caller in 2025 is vital, because unless the Wolverines can work some magic, it’s hard to see them getting Moore and Carr.