The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530730
54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan found its re- p l a ce m e n t fo r K i rk Campbell in early De- cember when it hired North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. While he's not exactly a "sexy" hire, Lindsey brings a strong résumé and a more balanced mentality — something that was a focus for Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore during the hiring pro- cess. Lindsey also has a solid track record as a recruiter. Prior to arriving at North Carolina in 2023, Lindsey, who focuses on recruiting quarterbacks but has his hand in other position groups, made stops as the OC at Southern Miss, Arizona State, Auburn, Troy (head coach) and Central Florida. Lindsey had his best recruiting success at Auburn, where he led the way in the recruitment of five-star quarterback Bo Nix and also landed a top-50 prospect at the position in Joey Gatewood. "Chip is a really easygoing guy who makes people comfortable, and thus, he's easy to talk to," said On3 reporter Keith Niebuhr, who covered Lindsey on the Au- burn beat. "I think that resonated with recruits and their families. In back-to- back years, he helped Auburn sign top- 100 recruits at quarterback. One of them, Joey Gatewood, out of Florida, never panned out, but he was a big prospect wanted by many schools. He committed to Auburn's previous offensive coordina- tor, but Chip took that recruitment over and kept him on board. "The next year, he helped Auburn get Bo Nix. Now, Nix's father had played quar- terback at Auburn and his mother went there, too, so the Tigers would have had to really screw things up to not get him. But, through Chip's work with Auburn's quar- terback at the time, Jarrett Stidham, Bo and his father saw an offense they thought worked for Bo. Overall, though, people don't just like Chip's mind, they like him as a person. He is a country guy, but I think his personality will connect well with peo- ple in the Midwest." Lindsey was born in Madison, Ala- bama, and served as a high school coach for several years in his home state, in- cluding stops at then-national power- house Hoover High and Hoover Spain Park, where he helped future Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens win state 6A Player of the Year. Lindsey has recruited Alabama hard wherever he's been, and that trend should continue at Michigan. There is perhaps no bigger recruiting figurehead in the state than Adrian Steele, who runs All Gas Training and 7v7 (think of it as Ala- bama's Sound Mind Sound Body). Steele works with some of the state's premier prospects including Ezavier Crowell, the No. 1 running back in the country and an early priority for Michigan in 2027, and fast-rising 2027 quarterback Cason Myers, whom Lindsey offered at North Carolina. A DEEP DIVE New Michigan Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey Brings Southern Ties As A Recruiter Lindsey comes to Michigan from the University of North Carolina and has deep ties to recruiting high school quarterbacks in talent-rich states like Alabama, Florida and Georgia. PHOTO COURTESY UNC ATHLETICS