Rod Moore is back for one final season in Ann Arbor. Here is what we can expect from the star safety this fall:
How will safety Rod Moore bounce back?
The redshirt senior had his 2024 season taken away from him due to injury, but he is back patrolling the secondary in 2025. He is also switching his number to 19 — which he wore during his underclassmen years — after spending 2023-24 donning No. 9.
Even after summiting this uphill battle, Moore is an excellent free safety with the closing speed, tackling and IQ to frustrate Big Ten offenses. He will need to be one of the best players on the team for Michigan to compete nationally.
The journey so far
Moore came to Ann Arbor as a three-star recruit in the 2021 class . An alumnus of Northmont High School in Clayon, Ohio, he decided to continue his football career in Ann Arbor over other offers from Notre Dame , Iowa, Wisconsin, Pitt, Northwestern and more.
He appeared in 11 games as a freshman, starting four, and demonstrating he had what it took to thrive at the sport’s highest stage. Moore’s sophomore and junior campaigns were impressive, too, as he became a regular starter and earned All-Big Ten honors (third team by the coaches in 2023, honorable mention by the media in 2022 and 2023).
Through 37 games, Moore has 141 tackles (three for loss), six interceptions, half a sack, seven pass deflections, three Big Ten championship rings and a national championship ring.
Unfortunately, Moore suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2024 and missed the entire season. He also underwent a cleanup surgery in December and is just now returning close to full strength.
“Recovery is going pretty good, I’m probably about 85 percent right now,” Moore told Maize n Brew . “Kinda little bumps in the road that I had during my recovery from the start, so it’s kinda taking longer than expected. But I think I’ll be ready for the season this year. I’ll for sure be playing, it’s just a matter of how long it takes me to get back to 100 percent.”
Outlook for 2025
While it may take Moore a couple games to rediscover his 2023 form, he should lead an enticing secondary this fall with other talented players such as Zeke Berry, Jyaire Hill, Shamari Earls, Jo’Ziah Edmond, TJ Metcalf, Mason Curtis and Brandyn Hillman.
Michigan’s front seven will still be stout even after key departures such as Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Josiah Stewart, but they will need a strong effort from the secondary to remain a top defense. Moore has to be the catalyst behind that success, and if history has taught us anything, he will be more than ready for the challenge.
It will be Moore’s first time on the field running Wink Martindale’s system. Still, his familiarity with it from a year ago, coupled with his experience with similar principles, should make for a seamless transition.