Michigan football loses 4-star WR commit hours after hiring Kyle Whittingham

Dec 26, 2025 - 21:45

One of the biggest jobs in all of college football is the head coaching position at Michigan. The Michigan football program is two years removed from winning a national championship, but has been mired in scandal recently. Sherrone Moore was named Jim Harbaugh’s successor but was fired for cause after a relationship with a football staffer. Now, Michigan is on the cusp of hiring Kyle Whittingham.

After stepping down from his position as the Utah football head coach, Kyle Whittingham is all but solidified as the new head coach in Michigan, with an official announcement expected soon. However, the recruiting implications of the move have already started with On3’s Hayes Fawcett reporting that 2026 four-star wide receiver Brady Marchese requested to be released from his national letter of intent.

Fawcett posted on X: “BREAKING: Four-Star Michigan WR signee Brady Marchese is requesting a release from his signing, he tells me for @Rivals. The 6’1 185 WR flipped from Georgia to Michigan on signing day.”

The Georgia native flipped from his hometown Georgia Bulldogs to Michigan during the early signing period earlier this month. Now, Marchese is the third 2026 class member to ask to be released since head coach Sherrone Moore was fired. He also joins four-star tight end Matt Ludwig and three-star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter to ask out of their letter of intent. Ludwig has signed with Texas Tech, while McWhorter is on his way to Auburn.

The Wolverines now only have two wide receivers left in the incoming first-year class: four-star Travis Johnson out of Virginia and three-star Jaylen Pile out of Texas.

In 11 games in 2025, he led his high school team with 41 receptions for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and weighing 183 pounds, Marchese has the physical tools to excel at the highest level in college football. He will most likely play in the slot for the majority of his time in college, but he has versatility.

After Marchese, Ludwig, and McWhorter, there will be more recruiting dominoes to fall, as the expected hiring of Whittingham will bring a massive staff overhaul.

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