The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 57 T he biggest headline to surface from Michigan football's spring session thus far unfortunately is the worst kind: a significant injury to a star player. On March 25, it was reported that safety Rod Moore had suffered a torn ACL during a spring practice ses- sion and potentially will miss the entire 2024 season. Although life without Moore will be a challenge, it is not an impossible task. It will be a challenge, though, for multiple reasons. First, Moore was to be the most expe- rienced returning Wolverine on a team that ranks very low in terms of returning production. He is a three-year starter with 1,584 career snaps to his name, which is more than 400 snaps greater than anyone else on the roster. In 2024, Michigan needs to rely heavily on the few players who have substantial ex- perience, particularly on defense when there is only one returning starter on of- fense, so losing its most seasoned leader hurts immensely. Second, the primary reason Moore is the most experienced returning Wol- verine is because he has produced from the get-go. After proving his chops as a true freshman in 2021, he shined as a sophomore. Pro Football Focus (PFF) marked him for an 83.8 overall grade, which was 12th-best among FBS safe- ties who played at least 20 percent of their team's snaps. Last year, Moore's PFF grade declined to 71.3 as a junior, which is still above average, but this was not surprising given that he missed the first three games with injury and slowly worked himself back into the rotation. One area where Moore has been su- perb is his ability to defend the deep ball. According to Sports Info Solu- tions (SIS), in 12 contests last season, opponents tried to target Moore on passes with 15 or more air yards only seven times. This was a combination of U-M's terrorizing defensive front and Moore being in the right position. Of those seven targets, four were catch- able, and of those four, only one was completed — a pinpoint back-shoulder throw by Ohio State. The other three? Moore knocked two away, including a bomb from Alabama's Jalen Milroe in the Rose Bowl that he easily swatted aside, and picked off the third when he called "game" in The Game. Third and finally, Michigan already lost an important piece from its safety group this offseason when junior Keon Sabb transferred to Alabama. Sabb per- formed well during Moore's absence early in 2023 and then had a fantastic showing in the national championship game. In 360 snaps, Sabb received an 82.1 PFF grade and allowed only two passes of 15-plus air yards on six catch- able tries. Sabb would have easily slid right into Moore's spot as the second safety starter. Nevertheless, if Michigan could af- ford a potentially season-ending injury to a defensive position group, safety was the best one because the Wolverines still have two Big Ten-caliber starters. Graduate student Makari Paige is ex- cellent in his own right, even if he does not grab as many headlines as Moore. Paige quietly patrols the back of the defense. He does not make many big plays but makes even fewer mistakes. He keeps the play in front of him — he has a missed tackle rate of only 6.7 per- cent — and doesn't let quarterbacks test him long — targeted only four times on balls 15-plus yards down the field the past two seasons. Plus, Paige is the Wolverine with the second-most career snaps (1,150), so Michigan will still have an experienced leader in its last line of defense. Although it was unfortunate that Sabb transferred, it was fortunate that graduate student Quinten Johnson elected to return for his sixth season in Ann Arbor. Johnson had a slow start to his career, not earning any defensive snaps until his third year and seeming to fall down the pecking order. How- ever, Johnson turned it around last sea- son. He improved each week, earned his 323 snaps as a reserve and made criti- cal plays down the stretch in pivotal moments, providing a crushing pass breakup versus Ohio State and forcing Milroe to fumble in the Rose Bowl. He finished with a 75.5 PFF grade — better than either Moore or Paige and in the top 20 of Big Ten safeties. Paige and Johnson should be able to hold things down in the back of Michi- gan's defense, but without Moore and Sabb, that is it for proven depth. The Wolverines should hope that one or both of former four-star recruits Zeke Berry (No. 146 in the On3 Industry Ranking in 2022) and Brandyn Hillman (No. 207 overall in 2023) break out, but if they do not, Michigan will be very thin at safety. That is where the impact of Moore's injury will be felt the most. The Wolver- ines no longer have any room for error at safety and likely will not be able to utilize a heavy rotation at the position. Michigan may need to ride Paige and Johnson for substantial snaps without Moore on the field. ❑ INSIDE THE NUMBERS ❱ DREW HALLETT Major Loss But Not Insurmountable Senior safety Rod Moore, who started 28 games in his first three seasons, is likely lost for the 2024 season after a reported knee injury suffered in practice March 25. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett.