Name: Fredrick Moore
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 191 lbs.
High school: Saint Louis (MO) Cardinal Ritter
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Moore #26 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and special teamer (LINK). He started three games and made 11 catches for 128 yards and 1 touchdown, and he rushed 5 times for 28 yards.
TTB Rating: 68
Last year I thought Moore would break out a little bit as a potential big-play receiver and returner.
It didn't happen.
On the bright side for him, the quarterback play and passing game in general did not generate big plays whatsoever. Michigan was one of the worst passing offenses in the country, and nobody was supported. Moore was third among wide receivers with 11 catches (behind Semaj Morgan's 27 and Tyler Morris's 23), and he was not used as a kickoff returner or punt returner. There's still a potential breakout here if Michigan can put together a cogent passing game, and it looks like there will be a step up from last year, considering Michigan now has two or three quarterbacks who are better than last year's starter, Davis Warren.
On the negative side, Michigan will still probably rely heavily on the run and tight ends. Everyone expects Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley to be the top receiver, so the rest of the wideouts will be battling for the #2 role. Moore has as good of a shot as anyone to seize that role, battling the likes of Morgan, Peyton O'Leary, Andrew Marsh, Kendrick Bell, and others. My hope is that McCulley becomes a downfield threat with his size, leaving room for guys like Moore and Morgan to work underneath and then make things happen with their speed. My (fake) money is on Moore to be the starter opposite McCulley.
Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 25 catches, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns
Last year may have gone differently for Moore had he fought for that deep ball in the opener. A big TD could have been a confidence builder for him, the staff and even the three bad QBs
ReplyDeleteHe has the size. He has the speed. But in a RunFirstRunOften Offense, dude just needs to make the play when the play is there
Here's hoping that the Bowl game was a coming out party
Garbage underthrow by the QB. not on Moore.
DeleteIt wasn't a good throw, but that play happens in CFB; a bit off, but a "playmaker" knows to adjust
Delete*during his interview, Moore said as much
*the UFR came to the same conclusion
*and Bellamy has talked about his Receivers needing to fight for the ball, which Moore did not ... at least not until the Bama TD
"a bit off"
DeleteLOL - your bias is showing. Throw was garbage, badly underthrown, to a covered receiver -- free red meat for the DB.
Moore not blameless - he should have at least tried to break up the pass. But that's a best case scenario on that garbage throw with a guy trying to get to the end zone. I guess we learned Moore isn't a good fit for cornerback.
It's on Warren. Period. The coaches stopped throwing deep with Warren because Warren wasn't good enough to do it. Period. Arm strength isn't there nor is the accuracy. Period. No one to blame but the guy who seemingly no one wants to blame because he's a walk-on level talent who plays like a walk-on.
Orji had a much better arm but couldn't trust him either. Warren was better from the red zone -- threw a nice back shoulder from the 10 to the pile on against Bama. Moore didn't do anything exceptional there either. Soft contact, good throw. Credit Warren here Moore just avoided messing it up.
This is the range where Warren was better than Orji -- he could SOMETIMES, more often than Orji, make those throws in the 10 yard range.
Anway, back to Moore. Moore looked pretty solid as a runner and special teams player. Looks unexceptional otherwise but route running potential is there perhaps with better QB play available it might be utilized and relevant.
Bar is low so he's in the rotation. More upside than some of the others but speed is meh.
Moore & Morgan with another year of experience is an upgrade from brand new (and uncontested) starters
DeleteMoore and Morgan didn't suddenly become Wilson and Johnson based on the dozen targets they got from Warren/Orji/Tuttle. I bet their blocking got better though!
DeleteLast year was a whole lot of "contesting" between a rotation of guys behind the two regular starters: Morris and Loveland. Morris and Loveland were returning (part-time) starters from the 2023 national champs. It was no surprise that they were the top 2 receiving targets in 2024. Behind them there was a logjam of guys competing.
Morgan Moore like last year are gonna have to compete for starting spots. The only guy who has an "uncontested" starting spot might be McCulley because the coaches are enamored with his size but that's not much different than Loveland last year other than nominal position of course.
There will be "brand new" starters this year like there was last year and there will be competition for those starting spots like there was last year. Starts will be handed out to WR3 types depending on the strategy and deployment of FB/TE2 types so again you'll see deployment of receivers not just based on what happens in the WR room but what happens with the offense as a whole.
Sorry about the facts getting in the way of these narratives.
Who said they'd be Wilson or Johnson?
Delete#lAnKoToMy (iYkYk)
Yep nailed it.
ReplyDelete" the quarterback play and passing game in general did not generate big plays whatsoever."
Hopeful that with Lindsay and Underwood on the case, the "cogent passing game" is extant. The fortunes of Michigan's receivers hinge on it.
As for Moore specifically I am not sure he has the top end speed to be a big threat but the bar is not all that high right now to be in the WR rotation for whatever opportunities might arise. He'll play a big role but I don't know if he's going to seperate from the big pool of options so would not rank him this highly personally.
Ingredients to having a downfield passing threat.
ReplyDelete1) An OL that can create the time for the route to develop
2) A QB who has the arm and accuracy to get it to where the receiver has a shot
3) A WR who can create seperation and catch the ball
3 is principally created by speed (e.g., Roman Wilson) horizontally but can be manufactured horizontally with strength, timing, and reach (i.e., height). Usually the jump ball advantage is only going to win you the contested opportunities and that's going to be turning a 30% chance at a jump ball into a 60% chance in a best case scenario. You want to be throwing downfield to guys who are open not guys you hope might win a jump ball. That's the problem with emphasizing size over speed and skill.
So I dunno who that potential deep target is going to be on Michigan but I doubt it's gonna reliably be McCulley considering Indiana demoted him to 5th string. Per Maize n Brew:
"In 2024, he found himself passed over on the depth chart in Bloomington by Elijah Sarratt, Ke’Shawn Williams, Myles Price and Omar Cooper Jr."
I don't think he has the speed, nor do I trust Underwood yet to be a reliable downfield thrower, nor do I trust the OL to protect him enough to support the downfield attempts. I do hope there will be more improve off scrambles and that Underwood trusts McCulley's size to make the most of those. But a lot of things that weren't there in '24 have to come together for the defense to respect the downfield throws from Michigan rather than just laughing and saying "good luck" and "thanks for the free down".
I hope but I'll believe it when I see it. Go Blue.
If Stewart, Simpson, Goodwin or any of the FR can block and make a few catches, that's good news
ReplyDeleteIf McCulley (& the TEs) can bring it and move the sticks, we're looking good
If Fred Moore / Semaj Morgan can create a little space, catch the ball AND get some YAC, we'll have an upgrade
The bar is low; very low. But if the Receivers can't get their part done, we're cooked (another 4+ losses)
*and if Chip passes to RBs regularly, WOOHOO we might be a playoff team
Moore and Morgan were on the team last year.
DeleteYep, and neither did much of anything. Nice low bar is set. Let's all hope they can get it done
DeleteMoore and Morgan isn't an upgrade over Moore and Morgan.
DeleteLindsay and Underwood are upgrades that can make Moore and Morgan more productive.
The issue was QB/OC not WR. That's where the big change is.
PERIOD!
Delete*another essay, but dodged that the coaches & MGo see it differently
#aNoN
#yEp
#lAnKoToMy (iYkYk)
Having issues responding to the right comment? I'm sorry for you.
DeleteCJ Charleston, Moore, Morgan, OLeary, and Bell all started last year and barring a change in approach by the OC, likely will again this year. They are not upgrading the WR room they are all returners. Morgan is the only one that ranked as better than a 3 star (and flashed playmaking ability in games). The room is the room, generally speaking.
The new faces are McCulley, Marsh, and Simpson swapping in for departures Loveland, Morris, and Walker.
If Thunder is right about the deHarbification of the offense (less TE) then WR will play an even bigger role, with largely the same group.
Everyone thinks production is going to be MUCH better though - thanks to Lindsay and Underwood.
Swapping Morris for McCulley should help. Even Seth, who you sometimes want to treat like an expert and other times want to dismiss, notes that the big hope in the Morris for McCulley swap is a matter of fit. A "both teams got better" type of situation not a one-sided trade with a talent discrepancy.
"The fact that Tyler Morris then left Michigan for Indiana probably says more about the contrast in the programs' needs than anything. The Wolverines have been stockpiling quick young athletes who should be coming into their competitive seasons this year, but didn't have anything like McCulley on the roster. IU much preferred a guy like Morris the Fryfogelish types they were known for in the last decade."
But really McCulley is taking Loveland's place as the #1 receiving threat. McCulley won't line up next to the tackle like Loveland did but Loveland didn't do that on most of his snaps.
Morris' #2 spot is open for Marsh or Moore or Morgan or anyone else to step up into. There will be far more opportunity there in 2025.
Anyway, here's another essay: Hinging your hopes for a better passing game on Indiana's #5 WR is comical.
Lindsay and Underwood are where hope lies.
IYKYK
What does it matter which post I reply to, both trolls are you, lAnKoToMy (iYkYk) ...
Delete#outsmarted
McCulley jumped straight to WR1 upon commiting because our WRs sucked last year, including Morris ... meanwhile, Morris moved to Indiana. And in a WR room that lost five guys, he was not mentioned as a potential starter, because he sucked last year
*experience matters, pErIoD
Yep will be interesting to watch Morris in '26. Sometimes guys who are dismissed at Michigan end up being successful elsewhere (e.g., Milton) but other times, and I would say usually, guys just look like the backups that they are (e.g., McNamara).
ReplyDeleteTwo things stand out for Morris - being a starter on a national championship squad and having Cignetti's endorsement. As with McCulley an optimist can dismiss the lack of production in 2024 for Morris but a skeptic can take it as an indictment. Eye of the beholder. We all filter info differently.
Anyway, Moore is one of the top options to step in for Morris' role as the #2 target in the passing game. I kind of think Marsh will take over, but we'll see.