Earlier this season, Rod Moore returned to the lineup briefly for Michigan football, and in the Wisconsin game, the senior safety made a real impact for the Wolverines.
Three plays made a huge difference. Moore played just 18 snaps. He was still on a pitch count at that point. Yet, he intercepted a pass, broke up a screen pass that was going to go for huge yardage, and made a key stop on a reverse that would have been a big gain.
Since the USC loss, we haven't seen Moore. Sherrone Moore hasn't said much other than that when Rod Moore is healthy, he will play. Wink Martindale basically said the same thing on Wednesday. The Michigan football defensive coordinator said he "doesn't know where Rod Moore is health-wise." He told reporters that's a question for Sherrone Moore.
#Michigan DC Wink Martindale says he doesn’t know where DB Rod Moore is at health wise and notes it’s more so a Sherrone Moore question.
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) November 19, 2025
Some have speculated that Moore could return for the Ohio State game, then redshirt for next season. He has only played in three games so far. He could have an injury redshirt to cover last season, so it could work, especially if Moore wants to get healthy and have the 2026 season to showcase what he can do for the NFL. That would be his true fifth season.
Moore's instincts would certainly come in handy against the Buckeyes. He's made some massive plays against them in the past. You wonder about his health, though. Coming back after not playing for that long could be diffcult.
Moore did make an impact with his 18 snaps against Wisconsin, though. So if anyone could do it, he could. We'll see, though, because right now, not much is clear about Rod Moore, other than I wouldn't expect to see him on the field against Maryland.