Michigan was reportedly investigating Sherrone Moore for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer prior to last Wednesday’s signing day, but the firing did not come until Wednesday, December 10, a week after much of Moore’s 2026 recruiting class had signed with the program.
Now, after parting ways with Moore, those recruits can request to be released from their signing with Michigan, and four-star tight end Matt Ludwig is the first to explore that option. Ludwig was granted his release from his signing on Thursday and is suddenly one of the highest-ranked unsigned players left in the country.
Ludwig is the 242nd-ranked player in the country, according to 247Sports Composite, and the 12th-ranked tight end. The 6-foot-4, 240 Billings, Montana native took unofficial visits to Notre Dame and Tennessee in the spring and had a top four of Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas Tech.
Matt Ludwig may not be the last Michigan signee to request his release
The timing of Moore’s firing is favorable for the program. A week after signing day, they mostly have their recruiting class locked in, and even players like Ludwig, who do request a release, could be hard-pressed to find a roster spot and a favorable revenue-sharing and NIL deal this late into the process. Most of the money has already been spent, so even with the unfortunate circumstances of Moore’s firing, the class should remain mostly intact.
Michigan’s 2026 class, with Ludwig, ranked No. 11 in the country with 27 players signed. The program and its biggest donors have made a major push to add talent around Bryce Underwood in the post-Jim Harbaugh era, and that included a major investment in the 2026 recruiting class.
Now, Michigan is hoping that its recruiting class, including five-stars Carter Meadows and Savion Hiter, is more tied to the block M on the side of the helmet than it was to Moore. The same goes for Underwood, who signed a massive multi-year NIL deal to flip his commitment from LSU to Michigan in the 2025 recruiting class.
Michigan is the latest powerhouse program to undergo a coaching change this offseason, and others have had recruiting classes crumble. Without a coach in place for the Early Signing Period and with James Franklin redirecting his class to Virginia Tech, Penn State signed just two players. The Wolverines won’t reach anywhere near those depths, but Ludwig’s release is not a good sign for what could be a tumultuous offseason in Ann Arbor.