Michigan safety Rod Moore to sport fresh jersey number for 2023 season
MCCOOK, Ill. — Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy and dozens of his Michigan Wolverines football teammates held the second annual “BG Champs Camp” with youth players outside of Chicago Sunday. McCarthy was the face of the event, but he involved his teammates, who will also profit from the NIL opportunity.
Junior safety Rod Moore was one of the many Wolverines on hand who was engaged and energetic while working with youth campers.
“It feels pretty good. This is my second one,” Moore told TheWolverine.com. “It was pretty good, being out here with the kids, seeing them have fun, especially with my teammates, the guys that I do it with. It feels good giving back.”
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Being the starting quarterback at Michigan, McCarthy has unsurprisingly been involved in numerous NIL endeavors — he has a $866,000 On3 NIL Valuation, the 22nd-highest in college football — but he felt it was important to involve his teammates while giving back.
“Everybody knows, from the first time he stepped on campus, J.J.’s been the guy to always look out for his teammates, look out for his guys,” Moore said. “Especially as a quarterback and as a leader that he is, that’s his personality.”
Moore and McCarthy will share a jersey number this fall, too, with the Michigan safety announcing he will switch from No. 19 to No. 9 ahead of his junior campaign.
“I’ve always rocked with J.J., and now — I don’t know if you know — but now I’m No. 9, so we’re going to be wearing the same number, so it’s gonna be turnt,” Moore said.
Added Moore, when asked to explain the decision: “Ah, I just wanted to wear a single digit for potentially my last year. I mean, 19 was cool, but as a safety …”
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Last season and this spring, safety Damani Dent was the Michigan defender to don No. 9. However, Dent transferred out of the program following spring practices.
Moore has popped up as an NFL Draft prospect for next spring, when he could declare early. Pro Football Focus and On3 each named him the fifth-best returning safety in America entering the 2023 season. Once underrated as a three-star recruit, Moore isn’t being overlooked any longer.
“I see it sometimes. I don’t really like paying attention to that, because I don’t want to get the big head or anything,” Moore said of the praise he’s receiving this offseason. “I’m aware of it. I’ve always been aware of it, but I’m just trying to keep getting there, because I know there are some guys ahead of me. I want to be the top guy, so I still gotta work and get to the top.”
Moore led the Michigan defensive backfield with 71 tackles last season, adding 1.5 for loss and a half-sack. He had 3 pass breakups and 4 interceptions, the most picks by a U-M player in a season since cornerback Channing Stribling in 2016.
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