The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
D E F E N S I V E B A C K S 110 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW JYAIRE HILL • CB Sr. • Kankakee, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 190 • Started all 13 games in 2025 with 36 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and 6 passes defended. • Honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by coaches and media. • Saw time in 12 outings with nine starts in 2024, generating 35 tackles with 5.5 for loss and 1 sack, 9 pass breakups and 1 intercep- tion. His first career pick came against Min- nesota. • Played in four games as a freshman in 2023, making 8 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. • Was on a Kankakee High team that went 8-3 his senior season and was part of a Class 5A Illinois state runner-up squad as a junior. • Racked up 42 tackles his senior season with 5 tackles for loss to go with 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions. • An all-state performer in track and field as a long jumper. As a sprinter, was part of two state championship-winning relays (4x100, 4x400). • Four-star prospect, No. 166 player and No. 20 cornerback in the country, and No. 2 player in Illinois, per Rivals Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2023 4/0 8 1.5 0 0 2024 12/9 35 5.5 9 1 2025 13/13 36 3.0 6 1 Total 29/22 79 10 15 2 JEREMIAH LOWE • CB Jr. • Lexington, Ky. Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 180 • Played in two games in 2025. • Did not see game action as a freshman in 2024. • Attended Frederick Douglass High School, leading team to 8-5 record with appearance in Class 6A semifinal game as a senior in 2023. • Named first-team all-state by the Louisville Courier Journal after recording 25 tackles with 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 inter- ception. • Helped team to 15-0 season and the Kentucky 5A state title in 2022 and a state runner-up finish in 2021. • Rivals Industry Ranking of three stars, No. 128 cornerback in the country and No. 9 player in Kentucky. ROD MOORE • S Gr. • Dayton, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 198 • Two-time team captain. • Played in three games in 2025 with one start, making 6 tack- les and an interception. • Missed the entire 2024 season after tearing his ACL in March 2024. • Appeared in 12 games with 11 starts in 2023, making 38 tackles (1 for loss), 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended and a quarterback hurry. • A third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and honorable mention pick by the media in 2023. • Competed in all 14 games with 13 starts in 2022, tallying 71 tackles (most among U-M defensive backs), 1.5 tackles for loss, a half- sack, 7 pass breakups and a team-best 4 in- terceptions. • Recognized as All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media as a sophomore. • Appeared in 11 games in 2021 with four starts at safety and tallied 32 tackles and 1 pass breakup. • Shared U-M's 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and also named Special Teams Rookie of the Year. • Received first-team Division I All-Ohio acco- lades as a prep senior and honorable mention status as a junior. • Ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 27 safety in the nation by the Rivals Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL PBU INT 2021 11/4 32 0 1 0 2022 14/13 71 1.5 7 4 2023 12/11 38 1.0 5 2 2024 Injured, DNP 2025 3/1 6 0 0 1 Totals 40/29 147 2.5 13 7 JACOB ODEN • S Jr. • Detroit Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 205 • Played in 10 contests in 2025, making 3 tackles with 2 passes defended and an interception. • Appeared in four games on special teams as a freshman in 2024, maintaining his redshirt eligibility. • Attended Harper Woods High School, coached by father and former U-M player Rod Oden. • Selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and named a PrepStar Top 300 All- American. • Tabbed all-state for Divisions 3-4 by the As- sociated Press as a senior. • Led team to Division 4 state championship in 2023, the first in school history. • Posted 56 tackles with 14 passes defended, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2 de- fensive touchdowns as a senior. • Competed in track, specializing in sprints, jumps and relays. • Regarded as a four-star recruit, the No. 339 overall prospect and No. 29 safety in America, and the seventh-best player in Michigan, per the Rivals Industry Ranking. I'MARION STEWART • CB Jr. • Chicago Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 180 • Switched from wide receiver to defensive back in spring 2026. Grad student safety Rod Moore is back for a sixth year after battling injuries the past two seasons. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL