Tag: Rod Moore

5 storylines to watch against Minnesota

Pay attention! #GoBlue

Another week, another win. At least, thats what Michigan fans are expecting from this weekend’s trip to Minnesota.

The Wolverines are the heavy favorites to continue their undefeated season, but every game carries more storylines than just the scoreline.

This week, Michigan is battling a number of injuries and answering the depth chart questions that impact the future of the program just as much as the present.

Michigan might win this game by double digits in the first quarter, but there should still be plenty of reasons to stay tuned in for deeper fans of the program.

Jesse Minter addresses Michigan football secondary injuries entering Big Ten play

Just think, as good as the defense has been, it hasn’t even yet been at full strength! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football’s defense has been phenomenal to start the year, leading the country in scoring defense and coming in at No. 8 in pass defense.

But a little secret? We ain’t seen nothing yet.

The Wolverines have fielded the bulk of its starting defense through the first three games, but three major players have been notably absent through most: safeties Rod Moore and Makari Paige, and cornerback Will Johnson.

Paige got involved a little in Week 1 and played 41 snaps in Week 3 — much needed given Zeke Berry’s injury sustained in Week 2. When he wasn’t out there, senior Quinten Johnson got some run and even came down with an interception. Will Johnson played eight snaps in Week 2, but none in Weeks 1 or 3. Moore has yet to make his season debut.

Yet, the unit has been solid, allowing 141.3 yards per game through the air — much of which have come in garbage time.

Now that Big Ten play begins in earnest on Saturday, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is interested to see his whole first-team defense out on the field, as its becoming more and more likely that the band will be getting back together soon as the aforementioned players are getting closer to full health.

“I think we’re really, really close to having a full tilt back there,” Minter said. “So, we’ll leave it at that. It’d be hopefully fun to see those guys back out there.”

Still, not having those players has been a boon to the defense. Younger players have gotten key experience, and as head coach Jim Harbaugh has often said, ‘You get better at football by playing football.’ By withholding the injured players, other players have now become pivotal depth pieces, players who can be counted upon throughout the season.

Minter is enthusiastic about how crucial its been to see players in the secondary who weren’t expected to play big roles before the season get some time in the spotlight before the aforementioned trio reclaims their thrones as the starters.

“I really just think all those guys that haven’t played for us before, when you look at Josh Wallace, Keshaun Harris, Jyaire Hill, DJ Waller, Keon Sabb at safety,” Minter said. “Quinten Johnson probably even get more run than he’s had in the past. When you think about over the course of the year over, hopefully, 12, 13, 14, 15-game season, you’re going to need depth, things come up.

“And so I’ve been really, just really pleased with how those guys have played, how they’ve learned to prepare, which I think is just as big of a piece is that is they’ve learned our process and game planning our process and studying opponents. And so now they have some more confidence because they’ve played in games. And, I expect all those guys to still have roles for us, even when we get healthy.”

Michigan football injury updates after UNLV game

An update with a little inside info. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football had a few players who didn’t see game time once again with Rod Moore and Makari Paige both out in the Week 2 win over UNLV.

While there was some sparing play a week ago by Paige, he wasn’t dressed in uniform for the contest on Saturday. Moore was, and he warmed up, but he did not see any playing time.

After the game, Michigan acting head coach in the first half, Jay Harbaugh, who is also their position coach at safety, said the two should be ready to go next week, but it’s still a wait-and-see scenario.

“Yeah, Rod and Makari, they’re coming along,” Harbaugh said. “They’ve been practicing and I think we should have a good shot at them being available for this next game.

“Them being out is a blessing for some of the other guys just to be able to get in there and get some live action, maybe even before they’re fully ready. So you just get better so much faster when you do get in the games and you’re able to coach up those live reps. So really, I’ve been pretty pleased with them but still a ton of stuff to clean up.”

The Wolverines exited the game with minimal injuries, but a late hit out of bounds on backup quarterback Jack Tuttle cut his day short. Second-half acting head coach Mike Hart said Tuttle could have returned, but the maize and blue held him out for precautionary reasons.

“Oh, he’s good. He hit out of bounds late over there,” Hart said. “He was throwing he wanted to go back in and we weren’t putting it back in. No, it’s just not worth it. Right? I mean, I think that at the end of the day, the health of the kid is best. And I think if the kid gets knocked down over there, you don’t know what’s happening. So let it heal up in but as far as medically, he’s good to go. And he wanted to go back in the game.”

WolverinesWire can confirm, according to one person who spoke on the condition of anonymity, that Tuttle had a brief shoulder issue, but he’s back to full health.

There was one other player who participated in only one play, safety Zeke Berry. Berry saw his first extended action last week, but only one snap on Saturday: the opening kickoff.

After the opening play of the game, his teammates were calling for the team trainers as Berry limped back toward the bench area. He did not return.

Up next, Michigan football will take on Bowling Green in Week 3, which will be a 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff at The Big House. That game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

Steve Clinkscale assess DB injuries, happy with Amorion Walker’s attentiveness

Really encouraging stuff here, all around. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After a full offseason when there have been touted defensive backs, new and old, fans got something of an unexpected look on Saturday when Michigan football trotted out some other faces in Week 1 than what was maybe anticipated back in the spring.

The idea was that we’d see the two usual starting safeties, Rod Moore and Makari Paige, nickel Mike Sainristil, and corners Will Johnson and Amorion Walker. But the Wolverines only had two of the above, Paige and Sainristil, play at all, and even Paige was limited. Instead, we saw Keon Sabb and Zeke Berry mostly at safety, transfer cornerback Josh Wallace and former walk-on Keshaun Harris working the other corner spot.

There was a lot of excitement about Walker, particularly, in the spring, especially when Jim Harbaugh and his fellow coaches referred to him as ‘a unicorn’ after switching him from wide receiver to defensive back. But Walker has been seen walking on crutches since relatively early in fall camp and hasn’t been available to practice since sustaining his injury.

However, his position coach, Steve Clinkscale, has been impressed with his attitude and demeanor as he’s working back to health, noting that his approach should help him be even better once he is able to get back onto the field.

“Well, Amorion is a special talent — we all know that,” Clinkscale said. “But what I see for him now — so spring doesn’t matter, this summer doesn’t matter. What I see for him now is he’s locked in. He’s in here. He’s not able to practice, but he’s watching film, he’s taking notes — you should see his notes. I take his notes and show them to everybody. He’s taking notes like he’s — everything. If I burp, he writes down burp.

“He’s taking notes, he’s listening to everything. He’s being a sponge, and that’s what you want from your players. If they’re not able to do it physically, do it mentally, right? And that way, now when a younger guy wants to talk to him, he can give them the right answer.

“So I’ve been proud of him about how he’s handled this. It’s not been an emotional deal where you can disappear, you don’t see him while he’s injured. He’s here every day all the time. We text and communicate every day. So I think that when he does come back, it’ll help him just kind of just catapult to where he was and maybe even surpass it. So looking forward to big things from all those guys. I think they’ve done a great job.”

What about the other defensive backs, safety Rod Moore and cornerback Will Johnson? Both dressed on Saturday, but neither played.

Jim Harbaugh said both were close and could potentially play this upcoming week against UNLV, but wasn’t definitive in his assessment. However, Clinkscale said both practiced on Monday and could be ready to go against the Rebels at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

“Yeah, they’re getting closer and closer every day,” Clinkscale said. “I kind of stay out of the training room with them, so when they’re out there on the field, I coach them. Yesterday, they were both at practice, so that was awesome. They’re getting closer and closer every day, they’re feeling —

“The big thing with those guys and having the issues that they have is not to rush them back, to make sure they’re comfortable, especially when you’re a DB and you’re out on the island, you rush the guy back too fast, it can really set him back a little bit. So I think coach has done a great job and our training staff has done a great job with bringing those guys back the way they need to be right on time. Not too fast, not too slow. So I’m excited about seeing them out there this year.

“I think having Makari for a few plays last week made a big difference, help some of those young guys kind of get their feet wet with an older guy, with a veteran out there on the field with a physical player on the field. And he kind of set the tone. And then I let the rest of the guys play the rest of the game. So getting those guys closer and closer will help us get them a few plays here and there until they’re 100% ready.”

Jim Harbaugh updates Michigan football injuries entering Week 2

Would be huge to get those guys back! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football won big in Week 1. Though the team is mostly healthy, there were numerous big names who either didn’t play or weren’t on the field as often as usual. As a result, there were a great many new names and faces who saw playing time in the 30-3 win over East Carolina.

Though dressed and listed on the new pregame injury report as questionable, cornerback Will Johnson and safety Rod Moore did not play. Safety Makari Paige, also listed as questionable, played only 10 snaps according to PFF. In their stead, the Wolverines used a heavy dose of cornerback Keshaun Harris (a former walk-on) and safety Keon Sabb as starters, as well as safety Zeke Berry once Paige was back on the bench.

As far as Johnson and Moore are concerned, Jim Harbaugh said on Monday that there’s a chance one or both could be back for the Week 2 home game against UNLV.

“I think they’d be — there’s an opportunity this week,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see.”

Of course, none of the above have practiced yet this week, as that will resume on Monday.

Without Johnson and Moore on the field, the Wolverines did OK with their replacements. Per PFF, Sabb had the fifth-highest defensive grade (75.1) while Harris posted the 14th (66.6).

Week 2 will pit Michigan football against UNLV for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kick, to be broadcast nationally on CBS.

Michigan football S duo top returners in Big Ten per PFF

Duh. #GoBlue

When it came to sharing what each college football team’s biggest liability is entering the 2023 season, popular Twitter account Big Game Boomer said of Michigan football: ‘nothing.’

That’s in large part due to the Wolverines, coming off of their second-straight College Football Playoff appearance, returning the bulk of their players for the 2023 campaign.

On offense, Michigan returns: quarterback J.J. McCarthy; running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards; wide receivers Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson; tight end Colston Loveland; offensive linemen Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, Karsen Barnhart, and Trente Jones — along with transfers AJ Barner (tight end), Drake Nugent (center), LaDarius Henderson (offensive line), and Myles Hinton (offensive line).

The Wolverines lost more on defense, but still have: defensive tackles Kris Jenkins and Mason Graham, linebackers Junior Colson and Mike Barrett, safeties Rod Moore and Makari Paige, and cornerback Will Johnson. There are some up-and-comers at EDGE and linebacker, while Josaiah Stewart (EDGE), Ernest Hausmann (linebacker), and Josh Wallace (cornerback) arrive via transfer, as well.

When it comes to the secondary, before Wallace’s arrival, that was the potential question mark. But that was due to the corner position opposite Will Johnson — not due to safety. That’s because what the Wolverines have at safety is among the nation’s best, according to PFF.

On Friday, PFF released a graphic noting that Moore and Paige are the top two returning safeties in the entire Big Ten entering the 2023 season.

In fact, PFF’s Max Chadwick lists Moore as being the fifth-best returning safety nationally, regardless of conference.

The Wolverines expect to go far this year, and while they may not be tested much through the air until late in the season — the final three games are at Penn State, at Maryland, and then the final showdown at home against rival Ohio State — they know they’ll have the players in middle of the defensive backfield that can hold their own.

Given how paltry the Michigan football secondary was in the moribund 2020 campaign, mixed with the fact that Moore was an under-evaluated recruit as a three-star out of Ohio — and he committed with little fanfare — it’s impressive the type of turnaround the maize and blue have had in that regard.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal title=”An offer for Wolverines fans” description=”For the best local Detroit news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.” url=”https://cm.freep.com/channeloffer?gps-source=CPSMGMIDARTICLE&utm_source=smg&utm_medium=inline&utm_content=wolverineswire&utm_campaign=smgtolocal&offer=W-SF&barBuild=atoms-pid” button_text=”$1 for 3 months”]

2023 Buckeyes Wire Preseason All-Big Ten team: Defensive Backs

How many Ohio State players made our All-Big Ten team? #GoBucks #B1G

The 2023 college football season is right around the corner and the Big Ten is loaded with top-notch talent and predicting who will end up on the All-Big Ten has proven challenging. Not only was it hard to choose one player over another, but it was also hard to admit that some of Ohio State’s most prominent rivals have some serious dogs on their squad.

This list will dive into the defensive backfield — and as expected — the Big Ten has some dominant defensive backs that make it very hard to narrow it down to just four. This list contains two cornerbacks and two safeties and we have a Buckeye make the team at corner, but not at safety.

In the age of the transfer portal, it is possible for a complete dark horse to rise as a frontrunner, but we will do our best to provide the most educated guess based on previous performances and situations.

PFF: Michigan safety Rod Moore is a player to watch in 2023

Could he have an All-American type season?

Junior Rod Moore was not a highly-sought after recruit coming out of the 2021 recruiting class. The Clayton (Ohio) Northmonth product was a three-star recruit in the ’21 cycle and as his play has shown — Moore was extremely underrated.

Moore had offers from few big-named teams like Iowa, Kentucky, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin, but the major blue blood programs, like Ohio State, did not offer the 5-foot-11 safety. Then-defensive coordinator Don Brown and head coach Jim Harbaugh loved what they saw from the hard-hitting safety and Moore ultimately signed with the Michigan Wolverines.

Heading into his junior season, Moore is expected to lead the young Michigan secondary. NFL draft prognosticators believe Moore is a potential top-two-round draft selection. Max Chadwick, with PFF, put Moore on his top-10 safety watch list for the 2024 NFL draft. In the past four NFL drafts, there have been just three safeties selected in the first round, and the Michigan safety has a chance to make it four — if all goes right.

Moore is arguably the most well-rounded safety in the country heading into next season and was an honorable mention PFF All-American in 2022.

He was one of two Power Five safeties in 2022 who earned 80-plus grades both in coverage and as a run defender. The other, Alabama’s Brian Branch, was taken in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Detroit Lions. Moore’s four interceptions were tied for seventh among Power Five safeties.

Moore played in 11 games with four starts during his freshman season at Michigan. He had a career-high nine tackles against Ohio State in 2021.

Last season, as a sophomore, he appeared in all 14 games with 13 starts. He led all defensive backs with 71 tackles and led the entire team with four interceptions. Moore was also an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Now that R.J. Moten is gone, after transferring to Florida, Moore more than likely sees an even more elevated role in 2023. Between his vision of seeing the football and his open-field tackling, Moore is in store for a monster 2023 season for the Wolverines.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal title=”An offer for Wolverines fans” description=”For the best local Detroit news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.” url=”https://cm.freep.com/channeloffer?gps-source=CPSMGMIDARTICLE&utm_source=smg&utm_medium=inline&utm_content=wolverineswire&utm_campaign=smgtolocal&offer=W-SF&barBuild=atoms-pid” button_text=”$1 for 3 months”]

Report: Michigan starter has a new look by changing jersey number for 2023

Going to look sharp in the new threads! #GoBlue

Michigan football junior, and hard-hitting safety, Rod Moore has some big expectations entering the 2023 season. R.J. Moten transferred to Florida, which leaves Moore and Makari Paige to lock down the safety positions, but Moore would have assuredly been considered a lock to receive majority of the playing time.

Moore was an All-Big Ten selection in 2022, led the defensive backs with 71 tackles, and had a team-high four intercetpions last season. The Ohio native has already been picked to become an All-American once the 2023 season concludes, according to Athlon Sports.

When Moore comes running out of the tunnel against East Carolina and making big plays this season, he will have a different look.

According to Clayton Sayfie with The Wolverine, Moore is changing his number from No. 19 to No. 9 this season.

On Sunday, Michigan football players held the second annual BG Champs Camp in Chicago, Illinois. Rod Moore was one of the Wolverines to help out and be there, and he told The Wolverine that he would be changing his number to No. 9.

“I’ve always rocked with J.J., and now — I don’t know if you know — but now I’m No. 9, so we’re going to be wearing the same number, so it’s gonna be turnt,” Moore said. “Ah, I just wanted to wear a single digit for potentially my last year. I mean, 19 was cool, but as a safety …”

Former Michigan safety Damani Dent wore No. 9, but he entered the transfer portal this spring and has yet to make a deceision on where he will be playing  in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Multiple Michigan football players make Athlon Sports’ preseason All-American team

There may be even more when the season is over! #GoBlue

Athlon Sports came out with their annual preseason All-American teams this week and there were multiple Michigan football players who cracked the list.

During 2022, Michigan had four members get All-American honors: Blake Corum, Olu Oluwatimi, Jake Moody, and Mike Morris. The Wolverines return Corum, who is coming off an injury that sidelined him the final three games of the season, but one would figure if he stays healthy — he will be back on an All-American team.

There are several candidates on the 2023 roster who could be All-Americans at the end of the season. And according to Athlon Sports, there are eight Michigan players that will be an All American in 2023.

Here are the Wolverines that made cut.