Michigan's Rod Moore close to full return, 'trying to get another championship'

Michigan Wolverines football graduate safety Rod Moore is the old head in the building (again), a sixth-year senior, and nearing 100-percent health ahead of his final college football season, which is a big prove-it year heading into the NFL.

“It’s big,” Moore, a team captain, said of his upcoming season. “I mean, I really could’ve left after year three. Missing the last two years at Michigan, [being a] sixth year, I never would’ve thought when I was a young guy, I’d make fun of the sixth years, and now I’m a sixth year. Last one, I’m trying to go get another championship so I can have two of those big old rings.”

Moore tore his ACL during a special teams drill in March 2024, and missed the entire following season. He underwent a second surgery that fall, finally jogged on ground for the first time last April and returned for three games in October 2025. However, he shut it down after a loss to USC as he still was experiencing pain.

“Last year, I came back the Nebraska game,” the Michigan star said. “I still was feeling pain or whatever. Before the Wisconsin game, I got I want to say it was a cortisone injection two days before the game. I didn’t practice that whole week. It came to Saturday, and I was like, ‘I don’t feel anything. Maybe this was the step that I wanted to take.’ I went out there and didn’t feel anything the whole game. That’s why I played like that. But then Sunday morning, it just felt the same.

“I had a clean-up surgery back in January. It was just cleaning up scar tissue. That’s really what was kind of bothering my knee with all the clicking and stuff, and that’s gone. Right now, I’m just really back in a return to play. I’m about to be back in practice here soon.”

The 6-foot-0, 198-pounder is feeling better — even healthier now than he did while playing games in a winged helmet last season — and almost full-go.

“I probably feel the best that I’ve felt ever since I tore my ACL,” he noted. “That’s the trajectory here. Just going to build on where I’m at right now and then go out and play.”

It’s been a long journey that Moore hopes to have behind him soon, so he can make an impact for Michigan and boost his stock for the future.

“Super exciting,” he said. “There have been times where I didn’t think my knee would ever feel normal again, but I can finally sit here and say and talk to my parents and say I’ll be back now, instead of second guessing it or thinking about the pain that I have. It’s finally taking that next step.”

A third-team All-Big Ten selection, Moore appeared in 12 games with 11 starts in 2023. He logged 38 tackles, including 1 for loss, and 2 interceptions, helping Michigan win the national championship and Big Ten title with a perfect 15-0 record. One of his two picks was the game-sealing interception to take down Ohio State.