The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 62 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2021 STATISTICS Year Tackles INT 2020 68 1 2019 85 4 HONORS • Received first-team Division I All- Ohio accolades as a senior, and honor- able mention status as a junior. RECRUITMENT • Committed May 10, 2020. • Pledged just one week after his teammate, Markus Allen, committed to U-M, but Allen eventually decom- mitted and signed with Wisconsin. • Held other notable offers from Ken- tucky and Notre Dame, among others. • Primary recruiter was former U-M safeties coach Bob Shoop. DID YOU KNOW? • Doubled as a wide receiver in 2020, reeling in 28 receptions for 440 yards and eight touchdowns. • Led Northmont to an 8-0 start (in- cluding two playoff wins) this past fall, before being forced to end their cam- paign due to coronavirus concerns. • Excelled on the track, qualifying for the state meet and running the 60-meter dash in 6.99 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 22.17 seconds. THEY SAID IT • Nor thmont head coach Tony Broering: "The first thing you notice about him is how fast he is. He's legit sub-4.4 [in the 40-yard dash]. … Rod can cover the slots and tight ends be- cause he tracks the ball so well." • Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt: "He doesn't necessarily jump out at you physi- cally, but his versatility really shows through. He's an asset in run support even though he's not the biggest guy, and has no problem dropping ball carriers. His versatility and athleticism will be two things he'll provide for Michigan down the road." BY AUSTIN FOX Clayton (Ohio) Northmont three- star safety Rod Moore was the only player Michigan signed from the state of Ohio in its 2021 recruiting class, one year after Jim Harbaugh's crew failed to reel in any prospects from the Buck- eye State in the 2020 cycle. Past U-M coaches such as Bo Schem- bechler and Lloyd Carr made a living off of recruiting Michigan's neighbor state to the southeast. ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit even opined this past summer that the small number of Ohio players on the Wol- verines' roster has contributed heavily to the school's struggles against Ohio State on the field. Whether that's the case or not can be debated, but one sentiment that isn't up for argument is the chip Moore is bringing on his shoulder to Ann Arbor. "The disrespect drives me so much," he said. "Ohio State didn't even recruit me in their own backyard. They came to a few of my workouts, but never re- ally talked to me. "I knew I was going to Michigan at that point, and I want to show OSU why they should have recruited me." Moore grew up right in the heart of Buckeye country, with his hometown of Clayton residing just one hour and 10 minutes southwest of Columbus. Those closest to the 5-11, 180-pounder weren't necessarily pleased when he pledged to Michigan, though, a group of people that even includes his family members. "It [the backlash] was bad," Moore recalled with a slight laugh. "My whole family rooted for Ohio State while I was growing up, but I never did. "A few of my relatives were happy for me when I committed to Michigan, even though they'd quickly add how I'll never beat Ohio State. I always tell them I'm not losing to those guys." Moore revealed he finally convinced his mother and father to flip alle- giances and become Maize and Blue fans, though he said his dad's side of the family will continue rooting for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won each of the last eight meetings in the rivalry, but Michigan came incredibly close to grinding out victories in 2012, 2013 and 2016, in particular (OSU's average margin of victory in those three games was just three points). "If I had to describe the matchup in my own words, I'd call it a big rivalry that is taken to the extreme," the safety said. "It's a game you either want to be a part of, or at least watch in person every year. "It's going to be special to play in that game, because I know we're build- ing something great here. Michigan will be back on top eventually, because a program like this doesn't struggle for long. They had a bad season last year, but U-M doesn't stay down for multiple years. I know for a fact we'll come back to the top." ❑ Rod Moore Brings A Chip On His Shoulder From Ohio Moore looks forward to being on the maize- and-blue side of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2021 Projection Starters Brad Hawkins and Daxton Hill both return in 2021, so Moore may be in line for a redshirt season. The depth is primarily inexperi- enced behind the aforementioned tandem, however, so Moore poten- tially seeing the field in blowouts — while staying under the four-game limit to preserve his redshirt — isn't out of the question. At just 180 pounds, adding weight should be one of his first goals upon arriving at Michigan. ROD MOORE SAFETY 5-11 • 180 NORTHMONT H.S. CLAYTON, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 25 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 28 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 14