Wolverine Digest

Wolverines snubbed by elite defensive lineman as Crimson Tide win recruiting battle

Jerred Johnson

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Lately, Michigan has had the Alabama Crimson Tide's proverbial number, if you will. Beating them in one of the most epic Rose Bowls in history on the way to the 2023 National Championship. Then, following that up with a Reliaquest Bowl win last year over a Crimson Tide team that swore they had been snubbed and should have been in the College Football Playoff race. The Wolverine teams beat Alabama twice using the exact blueprint they have employed to gain a four-game winning streak against Ohio State: trench warfare.

To maintain its offensive and defensive line supremacy, Michigan has dipped into the transfer portal and pursued elite blue-chip talents on the recruiting trail. One of those talents was Indianapolis native defensive lineman JJ Finch. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Finch had a Final Four of Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, and Michigan. In the end, he decided to take his talents to Tuscaloosa.

Losing Finsch does not derail head coach Sherrone Moore's 2026 class by any means. He still has plenty of options left on the table and is trending towards some truly elite talent after a whirlwind June that saw The Big House loaded with talent almost every single weekend. Finch is a top 500 talent but is not considered to be in the "blue-chip" arena. Alabama is likely to project him as a competitor for a role in year three, following some growth and development within their program. Moore and his team move on and continue to look for the right pieces to rebuild a championship contender in Ann Arbor.

Moor
Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore greets Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer . Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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