After winning the National Championship last season, it's been an offseason of change for Michigan football. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is off to the NFL. Quarterback JJ McCarthy is headed for the NFL Draft. And now, All-Big Ten safety Rod Moore is set to miss significant time after suffering a torn ACL at Wolverines practice, according to Matt Zenitz of 24/7 Sports:
“Some unfortunate injury news: Michigan standout safety Rod Moore suffered a torn ACL during the Wolverines’ practice yesterday, sources tell @247Sports. Moore, a starter for Michigan each of the last three years, was an All-Big Ten selection last season.”
He opted to forgo the NFL Draft and return to Michigan football for his senior season after helping the Wolverines win the national championship in 2023.
Moore, a former three-star recruit from Ohio, has been one of the most important players for Michigan football's defense the past three seasons. He dealt with injury to start the 2023 season but has otherwise started in 24 games the past two seasons.
He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 after being named honorable mention in 2022.
Rod Moore's unique NIL deal
Moore made a huge play to seal the win for Michigan football last November against Ohio State.
Now, Moore has used that moment to help facilitate an NIL deal and is releasing a set of merchandise to commemorate the moment he “called game.”
Moore made an interception with less than a minute in the game for Michigan, when Ohio State was driving down the field deep into Michigan territory. The interception was arguably the play of the game for the Wolverines in a 30-24 win over the Buckeyes. Following the win, Moore described how the moment was a dream come true, and he called game on the field because he knew his play sealed the victory.
The dream is now helping Moore make some money off of his name, image and likeness after he teamed up with an organization called The Player's Trunk to sell t-shirts and other items with the “called game” logo.
“It’s a really cool idea and execution,” The Players Trunk co-founder Hunter Pomerantz said. Moore is getting the majority of proceeds from each item sold. At the time, the Michigan football star had an NIL Valuation of $205,000 after his valuation has increased 23% over the past 10 weeks.
Michigan football's plans in his absence
Makari Paige and Quinten Johnson are both frontrunners for the starting safety positions, but with the recent departure of Keon Sabb, Michigan football will either rely on younger players to step up in Moore's absence or look to the transfer portal to bring in more talent at safety.
After finally winning it all last season, Michigan football is likely to look very different next fall. Hopefully Moore can make it back on the field sooner rater than later.
Follow Us
Subscribe