Michigan already had to replace seven of its defensive starters from last year’s national championship team. Now, the Wolverines are facing the possibility of being without another starter from their top-ranked 2023 defense for the entire 2024 season.
Free safety Rod Moore, a third-team All-Big Ten selection last year who was one of Michigan’s top returning seniors for 2024, suffered a torn ACL in practice on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
Some unfortunate injury news: Michigan standout safety Rod Moore suffered a torn ACL during the Wolverines practice yesterday, sources tell @247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 26, 2024
Moore, a starter for Michigan each of the last three years, was an All-Big Ten selection last season.https://t.co/WusziO07Bj pic.twitter.com/rX11Yiwrip
A three-star recruit from Clayton, Ohio, Moore has blossomed into one of the Big Ten’s best defensive backs over the past three years, playing a major role in the Wolverines leading the nation in both total and scoring defense in 2023. He led Michigan with four interceptions in 2022 and made the game-sealing interception against Kyle McCord in the Wolverines’ 30-24 win over Ohio State this past season.
Michigan still has two returning standouts in the secondary in cornerback Will Johnson and strong safety Makari Paige, but free safety now joins the list of positional question marks for Michigan entering 2024. Keon Sabb, who saw extensive playing time along with Moore and Paige at safety last season, transferred to Alabama in February; redshirt sophomore Zeke Berry, who appeared in just three games on defense this season, is the likely frontrunner to replace Moore in the lineup unless the Wolverines add a transfer safety in the post-spring window.
