Recruiting Roundup: Recruits visiting Ann Arbor for the first time in the Sherrone Moore era

We’re officially in a new era of Michigan football, and less than a week into Sherrone Moore’s tenure as head coach, recruits are reportedly visiting Ann Arbor this weekend.

According to a report from The Wolverine’s EJ Holland, two recruits from the same high school in New Jersey are set to visit Ann Arbor this weekend.

The Wolverines will be hosting 2025 four-star linebacker Kamar Archie and 2025 three-star defensive linemen Kole Briehler this weekend. Both guys play at Hun School, the same private school in Princeton, New Jersey where 2024 defensive lineman signee Owen Wafle played at.

Defensive line coach Mike Elston has been leading the charge to land Briehler since September. Archie told Holland a few months ago he thinks he can be a versatile piece for the Wolverines.

“Michigan is definitely a top school in my recruitment,” Archie said. “It’s kind of hard to decide on top schools since I haven’t been to many places, but I can say Michigan is up there. I could be used like Jabrill Peppers. I know they have really good running backs like Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. They also have good backers. I’m excited about that.”

While there’s still a lot of uncertainty within Michigan’s coaching staff right now — particularly on the defensive side of the ball — hosting two guys with a teammate already in the program is a smart move. The world of college football recruiting doesn’t sleep, especially for new regimes.

The Wolverine’s Holland ($) also reported that 2025 four-star offensive lineman Rowan Byrne, who was in Ann Arbor for the BBQ at the Big House and the Ohio State game last year, may also be visiting this weekend. At 6-foot-6 and 297 pounds, the New York native is one of Moore’s top targets along the offensive line in this class.

Grant Newsome paid Byrne a visit earlier this week, and he reacted to being a top priority for the Wolverines.

“We talked for about an hour,” Byrne said. “It went really well. My dad was there, too. We got a lot of our questions answered. He told us he was going to be the offensive line coach, which is good to know. I’m the first player he’s seen as the offensive line coach, which means a lot. We talked about where he sees himself in the future. He wants to stay at Michigan. He sees himself at Michigan long-term and wants to be an offensive coordinator. He’s really personable, but he’s also mature.”

Byrne has been a target since former head coach Jim Harbaugh as still running the program. Even though he is now back in the NFL, that does not have much, if any, impact on Byrne’s interest in Michigan.

“Michigan is still really high in my recruitment,” Byrne said. “Coach Harbaugh leaving may be a bigger deal for other guys. But I knew coach Moore really well. I have a great relationship with him. He’s a great man and coach. Coach Newsome played offensive line at Michigan. He’s worked with coach Moore. They are both going to do a great job.”

According to Brice Marich with The Michigan Insider, Moore, Elston and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy were all in Oak Park, Illinois to visit 2025 five-star defensive linemen Nathanial Marshall.

The last time Marshall was in Ann Arbor, he witnessed an electric atmosphere as the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes for the third season in a row.

“Was a crazy experience and glad to be in the building for it,” Marshall said after that visit. “It was a great game and three-straight times of beating such a team is a real tough, strong stat to have under your belt. The offense was fun to watch, but even more the defense from Michigan.”

Marshall is a super-talented recruit, and with no Crystal Ball predictions for him yet, recruiting analysts don’t appear to have a sense on where he’s going to go. Landing a blue-chip prospect like Marshall would help the Moore regime make a big splash early on.

Marshall, who plays high school ball at Fenwick, is rated on the 247Sports composite as the 22nd-best player in his class, the third-best defensive linemen, and the top ranked player from Illinois in the 2025 class. He’s garnered interest from several big-name schools, as Marshall has a few dozen offers, including but not limited to offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan State, Texas and USC.