Sherrone Moore on impact of Michigan's national championship: 'We got all the juice we wanted'

Sherrone Moore believes Michigan has the momentum needed to keep finding success following last year’s national championship. He is set to take over the team after Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL and is confident he can make it a smooth transition.

It helps that Moore has been an assistant on the Wolverines staff for the past six years, so things should run similarly to how they did under Harbaugh. That combined with the recent success should make for a great pitch on the recruiting trail, and Moore was asked in a recent press conference whether he has felt that this offseason.

“I felt some great juice when I got those four rings the other day,” he said. “We got all the juice we wanted and we’re gonna continue to get it. We’re just gonna keep working and last year was last year. We’re still celebrating. We’re excited that we did that. I go look at those rings all the time and that’s all the juice we need.”

In addition to the national championship rings, Michigan players and staff members received rings for the Big Ten Championship, Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff Championship. It’s a constant reminder of the mountaintop they reached, but it’s going to take work to stay at the pinnacle.

The Wolverines not only lost Harbaugh, but also saw 13 players from their national championship team drafted to the NFL. That includes starting quarterback JJ McCarthy, leading rusher Blake Corum and defensive back Mike Stainristil.

Michigan still has plenty of talented players waiting for their chance after bringing in top 20 recruiting classes in both 2022 and 2023. Their incoming freshman class ranks No. 15 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten according to On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings.

The Wolverines also return players such as running back Donovan Edwards and cornerback Will Johnson, both of whom played a key role in their title run. They’ve brought in only four players through the transfer portal, but that includes former Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham, the No. 51 player according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

It’s never easy to defend a national title. LSU will attest to that after going 5-5 the season following its 2019 championship. Georgia is the only team that has managed to go back-to-back in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014).

Still, Sherrone Moore and Michigan are riding high on the confidence of last season and ready to give 2024 their best shot.