Michigan National Champion Chris Howard Explains Key Hires in Recruiting Overhaul

When Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham to become its head coach, he not only wanted to bring in his own assistant coaches, but he also wanted to make his footprint behind the scenes. In a move most people didn't see coming, Whittingham let former General Manager Sean Magee go, along with other members of the personnel department.

Since Magee's departure, Michigan has since hired Dave Peloquin to become the new GM, along with adding USC's Skylar Phan to help with recruiting.

Former Michigan running back Chris Howard helped break down the moves on his latest installment of The Breakdown, presented by Hail Media!.

"This wasn't necessarily about failure, it was more about modernization," Howard said. "And the first move in that modernization was bringing over one of the most respected personnel minds in college football. Michigan hired Dave Peloquin as the program's new general manager.

"During his time in South Bend, Peloquin held several roles. Director of Personnel, Director of Football Development, and an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Initiatives. Across those roles, he helped build Notre Dame's roster to compete for national championships and College Football Playoff appearances in 2012, 2018, 2020, and 2024. Those teams weren't put together by accident. They were the product of disciplined roster construction. And that's exactly what Michigan is betting on."

But it's not just about what Peloquin has recently done — he has a vast background with the current Michigan Wolverines. During his time in South Bend, he worked alongside Tony Alford and he also worked around both Tony Stockton and Larry Black — two more Michigan coaches.

His familiarity with the area, the coaching staff, and his modern ideas gives you an idea of why Whittingham wanted Peloquin.

"And there's another important factor in this, and it's basically what Kyle Whittingham has built his entire staff on," Howard said. "Peloquin already has strong relationships with several Michigan staff members. He worked closely with running backs coach Tony Alford at Notre Dame. He helped recruit new safeties coach Tyler Stockton. And he spent time in South Bend with new defensive line coach Larry Black. Those connections matter, especially to Kyle Whittingham."

Why Skylar Phan is a home-run hire

But Peloquin isn't the only major addition. Most recently, Michigan added Skylar Phan, who worked as the Director of Recruiting Strategy at USC. She was pivotal in helping turn around the Trojans' recruiting woes and USC landed the top-rated class this past cycle.

"Michigan added Skylar Phan to its personnel department after she served as Director of Recruiting Strategy at USC. And that role came during one of the most dramatic recruiting turnarounds in recent college football history," Howard said. "When Phan arrived at USC, the Trojans were ranked number 17 nationally in 2024 and number 13 in 2025.

"But in 2026, USC had the number one recruiting class in the country. And Phan was widely credited with helping coordinate the strategy behind that surge. Her background includes several key stops across football operations."

But what exactly does she bring to Ann Arbor? Howard talked about her method and why it makes sense that Michigan hired her away from USC.

"Every visit has a narrative. Every interaction with the program is intentional. And that's the type of system Phan helped implement at USC," Howard said of Phan. "Part of her role there involved helping build the structure behind the recruiting strategy. Developing individualized plans for how each prospect should be recruited. Understanding their priorities. Understanding who influences their decisions. And understanding what kind of environment they respond to. Then designing every part of the recruiting process around those insights."