ESPN recently put out its ranking of top defensive backs heading into 2025. While no Wolverines were within the Top 10, two did receive votes, and one of them is a bit of a surprise:
Michigan may enter the 2025 season with plenty of questions at defensive back, but two Wolverines — safety Rod Moore and cornerback Jyaire Hill — still managed to earn votes in a recent ranking by ESPN of college football’s best at the position.
Obvious names like Caleb Downs, Leonard Moore and Jermod McCoy were at the top of the list, but the inclusion of Moore and Hill is interesting. Both possess the talent and upside to be impact players in 2025, but that potential comes paired with lingering question marks. If things break right, however, each has the ability to rise well beyond the fringe.
Rod Moore
Despite not playing a single snap in 2024 due to a torn ACL suffered last spring, Moore’s resume speaks for itself. From 2022–23, he earned an 85.5 PFF overall grade and recorded six interceptions, making him the second-most valuable returning FBS safety in that stretch according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. Known for his high football IQ, leadership and poise in the secondary, he was a steady force during Michigan’s 2023 title run.
The injury robbed him of a much-anticipated senior campaign in 2024, but Moore’s decision to return for a final season reflects his commitment to Michigan and belief in what he can still accomplish. He’s yet to return to full-contact practice, but coaches continue to express optimism about his recovery and leadership.
If Moore can get healthy and regain his form, he could easily find himself back in the national conversation — and on draft boards — by season’s end.
Jyaire Hill
While Moore’s hype is rooted in past dominance, Hill is building his case after ending the 2024 season behind Aamir Hall.
Still, it appears the folks over at ESPN are giving the nod to Hill’s experience. He played a total of 598 defensive snaps last season, recording 26 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception while posting a 77.7 PFF overall grade and 77.3 coverage grade. Both those PFF metrics are solid for a player who ended the year in a rotational role.
Now poised for a shot to reclaim a starting role as Michigan’s most experienced returning corner, Hill enters the season with both expectation and opportunity. With guys like Hall and Will Johnson no longer on the roster to take the weight off his shoulders, Hill will have to prove he can shine as the anchor of a reloaded secondary.