Report: Michigan to hire former Vanderbilt RBs coach Jayden Everett to staff

Michigan is set to hire former Vanderbilt running backs coach Jayden Everett to its staff, according to a report from Matt Zenitz. He spent one season with the Commodores before parting ways with the program in January.

Before he arrived at Vanderbilt, Everett served as running backs coach at Tulsa and Akron. His move to Michigan brings him back to the state after he served as the RBs coach at Central Michigan from 2017-18 after four years on the staff at his alma mater Indiana State. His role with the Wolverines is unclear.

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Everett was part of a major overhaul at Vanderbilt this offseason. Clark Lea also made changes at both coordinator spots and will take over defensive play-calling this year as the Commodores look to bounce back from a 2-10 record in 2023.

Now, Jayden Everett will join Sherrone Moore’s new-look staff at Michigan. The Wolverines are taking on a different look after winning the national championship last year, and Moore made a splash at running backs coach by hiring Tony Alford to the role. He’ll have the chance to work with Donovan Edwards, who looks to be the heir apparent to Blake Corum in the Michigan backfield.

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But one of the most notable differences for Michigan will be at quarterback. J.J. McCarthy is off to the NFL as a Top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, and the competition is still going to replace him. Alex Orji appears to be the favorite to take over as QB1 after getting some run last year in goal-line packages, but Davis Warren is also in the mix.

As for when a decision could come, Moore said earlier this week the staff was “close” to making one. It could come down to the wire ahead of Saturday’s opener against Fresno State.

“We’ll just see who practices better these next couple days, and then we’ll make a decision whether it’s Friday, whether it’s right before the game,” Moore said. “We’ll let them know, and then everybody else will find out at the same time.”

Orji is the “prohibitive favorite” to win the quarterback competition, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He would allow UM to continue running the offense with an athletic player under center as it did with McCarthy.