Derrick Moore feels more confident exiting second spring with Michigan

Derrick Moore looked solid last year as a freshman at Michigan. He appeared in all 14 games and could be poised for a big leap as a sophomore this year following some departures.

Based on how his spring went, a step forward could be in the cards.

Moore said he gained some confidence during spring practice this year now. A big part of that is his familiarity with the scheme under second-year defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and after fixing his technique, he played more confidently than he did last spring.

“I felt that was different about it was that I felt more confident,” Moore said on the In The Trenches podcast. “I felt like I played with more confidence, my technique was better, I know the system better. So that’s why I just felt like I was more confident this year than last spring.”

Minter and the defensive staff, like Moore, are also gearing up for their second season with Michigan. In the time since they all arrived on campus, they’ve build a relationship, and that’s helped Moore improve his game.

Add in the leadership from players such as Mike Morris and Mazi Smith, and Moore was able to put some things together from last year to this year. It also helps Michigan had a top draft pick on its roster in 2021 and another who could’ve been a first-round pick, and he was able to watch their tape, too.

“Now that I have built this great relationship that I have with my coaches, not only just them, [but] learning from the older players that were here like ‘Mike Mo’, Mazi, those guys,” Moore said. “Also, I watched a little bit of Aidan [Hutchinson] and [David] Ojabo because we all play the same position. I just learned from them and watched their techniques and learned from their mistakes and see how [I can] feed off them.”

Now with Morris and Smith both out of the picture after hearing their names called in the 2023 NFL Draft, Moore could have an opportunity to fill those shoes. As a freshman in 2022, he had eight tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks for Michigan.

Moore was a consistent piece of the defense after arriving on campus as a four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 37 overall player from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.