The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE JUNE/JULY 2020 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan has once again landed an intriguing talent from Clay- ton (Ohio) Northmont. The Wolver- ines — who signed defensive line- man Gabe Newburg in 2019 and added a commitment from three-star wide receiver Markus Allen earlier in the current cycle — have brought three-star safety Rod Moore into the fold. Moore initially planned to wait un- til his senior season to make a deci- sion. However, he felt comfortable enough with the program to pull the trigger May 10. "Michigan has a great education along with a great football program," Moore said. "That's what I've been looking for in a school. I can also tell that they wanted me for who I am as a person as well as a player." Moore committed to Michigan over offers from Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and a handful of other major programs. Moore sided with U-M despite the fact that he has never been to Ann Arbor. Moore was actually sched- uled to make an unofficial visit to Michigan in March, but the corona- virus pandemic forced him to stay at home. Needless to say, relationships went a long way in this recruitment. "I have a great relationship with Coach [Bob] Shoop, and it's building even more," Moore said of Michi- gan's safeties coach. "The way we talk about things, it just hits more than any other school. Coach Shoop just tells me that I can come in and play early. "I really like Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and the philosophy he has with his players. He said I'm the type of player that they are looking for." Moore recorded 85 tackles and four interceptions last season and also qualified for the state track champi- onships in the 60 and 200 meters as a sophomore. His speed and physi- cal nature make him an ideal fit for what Michigan defensive coordina- tor Don Brown is looking for in the secondary. "I talked to Coach Brown, and I feel like I can fit into their defen- sive scheme really well, even early on," Moore said. "They like me as a free safety or a viper. They like how versatile I am on film and feel like I could play more than one position." Northmont head coach Tony Bro- ering was quick to praise Moore for that aforementioned speed. "What's great about Rod is his speed," Broering said. "The first thing you notice about him is he's fast. I mean, he's legit sub-4.4. That's not just me talking. That's him at a camp last summer. I believe it was at Pitt. "He ran a 4.38. I know he can run a sub-11 in the 100 meters and a sub-22 in the 200 meters because I'm also his track coach in the spring. The kid can roll. He can flat-out run. "Along with that speed, he has the length. He also has the size that you need in the secondary to play at the top level in the Big Ten. He has really long arms. He has big hands. He has great closing speed." While Moore might not be a very highly touted recruit, Broering added that he believes his star player can make an early impact. "He can get on the field very quickly," the coach said. "He has ability in the return game and on spe- cial teams. He ran a couple of kicks back until teams stopped kicking at him. He could have run one back every week if they would have kept kicking to him. "They preferred to kick it out of bounds. He's fast. He's a great return man." Rivals.com lists the 5-11, 170-pound Moore as the No. 15 prospect in Ohio the No. 22 safety in the country. — EJ Holland Relationships Lead Ohio Safety Rod Moore To Select The Wolverines FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Rod Moore was valued much higher than his ranking by the Michigan staff because of his speed and physicality. He has great track times and can break on the ball in an instant, which often leads to breaking up passes and creating turnovers. He is very solid against the run as well. Moore is physical in the box and recorded more than 80 tackles as a junior. He can also make plays on special teams. Areas Of Improvement: There isn't really anything that pops out about Moore. While he is solid in all areas of his game, he isn't exactly great in any one area. His track times may be great, but he needs to make sure it transitions to the field. He doesn't always play as fast as he should. Moore is also a little slen- der at 170 pounds, so gaining more muscle mass should be a focus. Michigan Player Comparison: Quinten Johnson, who was a fresh- man this past year, comes to mind as a player similar to Moore. While he was rated higher as a recruit, Johnson was a true safety with a knack for making plays on the ball. Moore will need to add more weight to his frame because when Johnson showed up at U-M he outweighed Moore by 28 pounds, but he tracks the ball well and isn't afraid to de- liver hits in the box. — EJ Holland Moore "The way we talk about things, it just hits more than any other school. … I really like Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and the philosophy he has with his players. He said I'm the type of player that they are looking for." Moore, the nation's No. 22 safety according to Rivals.com, notched 85 tackles and four interceptions during his junior campaign at Clayton (Ohio) Northmont last fall. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM