Michigan football has mostly managed to hold its roster together with the changes that have come to the program following the offseason departure of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. Though former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was promoted to head coach as something of a continuity hire, there have been reasons to be concerned, especially given that all of the coaches on defense have departed the program.
The Wolverines haven’t lost any notable scholarship players of those who have already been with the team, but one player who had signed and hadn’t arrived on campus has decided that he doesn’t want to stick around and see what it’s like to play with the new-look maize and blue.
On Sunday, Michigan signee Jaden Smith, an EDGE prospect from North Carolina, announced he would be seeking to get out of his national letter of intent and seek a new opportunity elsewhere.
— J4 (@jadensmith200) February 11, 2024
And on Tuesday, he announced that he has gotten out of his NLI and is free to look to new opportunities at another school.
I’ve officially been released from my NLI. Looking forward to what’s ahead. ❤️
— J4 (@jadensmith200) February 13, 2024
Smith is a 247Sports Composite four-star, ranked No. 284 overall, regardless of position. The West Charlotte athlete could have played outside linebacker to start, especially since he is rated at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, but could have evolved into a more traditional defensive end once the strength and conditioning at the college level took ahold in the future.
At the moment, Michigan does not have a defensive line coach, but is rumored to be getting Wisconsin’s Greg Scruggs, who goes back to Sherrone Moore’s time at Louisville when he was both a player and a coach.