The honeymoon phase is officially over.
Sherrone Moore is entering his second full season as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and the tone has shifted. Last year was about surviving the transition. This year? It’s about building his version of Michigan Football, and one of his biggest moves to date might be hiring Chip Lindsey as the new offensive coordinator.
Moore didn’t just toss Lindsey a headset and hope for the best. At Big Ten Media Days, he made it clear: Lindsey isn’t just a playcaller. He’s a builder. A mentor. A steady hand guiding this offense into its next phase.
“Bringing in Chip has been awesome,” Moore said as quoted by On3 Sports. “He’s an outstanding human being, a phenomenal coach, a great leader of men, and the guys want to play for him.”
Coming off a season where Michigan relied on its ground game, the 2025 Wolverines are a very different team. The roster is younger. The talent is raw. And the offensive identity is still under construction. That’s where Lindsey comes in.
TL;DR
- Chip Lindsey is Michigan’s new OC, and head coach Sherrone Moore says his impact is already “outstanding”
- Moore is leaning on Lindsey’s experience to reshape the offense in Year 2
- QB battle is heating up between Mikey Keene and Bryce Underwood
- Michigan’s WR room is deeper and more explosive than in years past
- Wolverines open the season Aug. 30 vs. New Mexico, then travel to Oklahoma on Sept. 6
Why It Matters
Michigan fans have grown used to a brand of offense built on grit, physicality, and ground-and-pound drives. But Moore is signaling something different in Year 2, a willingness to adapt, modernize, and let Lindsey cook.
“From a knowledge standpoint and the things that he is going to give our offense and already has given our offense, it’s been outstanding,” Moore said. “The things he’s given me… To be in that position and to be able to lean on somebody that’s been in my position before in college football has been huge for me.”
Translation? Moore is leaning into collaboration. He’s trusting Lindsey to evolve the offense, something that will be critical as the Wolverines break in a new starting quarterback and reshape their passing game.
Quarterback Room Reset
The quarterback battle is wide open—but it’s also stacked.
Moore pointed to Mikey Keene, the Fresno State transfer, as a proven veteran who’s logged 2,029 career snaps.
“That’s a lot of snaps in the game,” Moore said. “So he’s a guy that’s done it, that has experienced it at a high level.”
Then there’s Bryce Underwood, the 5-star freshman phenom already turning heads in Ann Arbor.
“He’s grown every single day since he’s been on campus,” Moore said. “He does everything the right way… a great teammate, great kid, great young man.”
Whether it’s Keene’s experience or Underwood’s upside, Lindsey’s presence ensures Michigan’s QB1, whoever it is, won’t have to do it alone.
Receiver Room Revamp
A revamped offense needs weapons, and Moore is confident in the Wolverines’ pass catchers.
“The retention of guys like Fred Moore and Semaj Morgan… Peyton O’Leary… They’ve done a really good job of changing the mentality of that room.”
Add in Donaven McCulley, Andrew Marsh, Jamar Browder, and Jacob Washington, and it’s clear Michigan has built a more dynamic and versatile receiver corps than they’ve had in years. That’s a welcome sight for Lindsey, whose offenses thrive on flexibility and matchups.
Early Test in Norman
Michigan opens its 2025 campaign at home on August 30 vs. New Mexico, but the real test comes fast: a road trip to face Oklahoma on September 6.
“It’s going to be a test to see where we are,” Moore said. “It’s going to test the willpower of who we are and what we’re going to be.”
If the new offense finds its rhythm by then, the Wolverines could make a serious early-season statement.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan anymore. In Year 2, Sherrone Moore is putting his stamp on the program—and Chip Lindsey may be his most important offseason addition. If Michigan wants to stay in the national title picture, it starts with offensive evolution. And that’s exactly what Lindsey brings to the table.
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