Justice Haynes, Rod Moore could return to Michigan football in 2026
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The regular season is over and bowl season has arrived across college football.
For Michigan football, it’s a busy time. The Wolverines just signed their incoming class of 2026 and are in the beginning stages of trying retain as many players as they can before transfer-portal season arrives, all while prepping for their upcoming Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas on Dec. 31 (3 p.m., ABC).
Coach Sherrone Moore met with media in Schembechler Hall on Monday, Dec. 8 to discuss a slew of topics:.
Rod Moore, Mikey Keene could seek redshirts
Safety Rod Moore mulled entering the 2024 NFL Draft, after just three years in Ann Arbor. Now, he could return for a sixth season.
The two-time captain played in just three games in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 campaign with a torn ACL suffered during April practices. During the rehab from that, Moore felt discomfort in his knee, which led to another procedure, on his meniscus, last December.
The fifth-year player said he was going to be cautious this year to ensure he didn’t put any bad tape out there for NFL scouts – he wanted to help his team but also had to do right by himself – and he wound up shutting it down for the final six weeks of the season.
Still, it doesn’t mean his time in Ann Arbor is necessarily over.
“We’ll see,” Sherrone Moore said when asked about if he’s anticipating a return from one of the most respected players in the program. “Think so. But you know, that’s something you got to leave up to the doctors.”
Moore had six tackles and one interception this fall, bringing him to 147 tackles (95 solo), 14 passes defended, seven interceptions, 2½ tackles for loss and half a sack over his career.
Michigan will also seek to bring quarterback Mikey Keene back, too. The Wolverines brought in the veteran with four years of experience as a starter (two at UCF, two at Fresno State) to compete with freshman QB Bryce Underwood, but he never got a chance.
Keene had an upper body injury in the spring and didn’t participate in a single practice – he wasn’t even cleared to throw until late in the summer. By that time, Underwood had run away with the starting job, with Jadyn Davis serving as the backup.
Keene exited the injury report by the middle of the season, but he never saw game action in a game. Michigan intends to leave the door open for him another year as well.
“We’d love both of them back,” Moore said. “Don’t plan on playing Mikey or Rod … in this game [vs. Texas].”
Wink Martindale expected to return as defensive coordinator
Michigan appears likely to have the same defensive coordinator for a third straight year for the first time since Don Brown manned the position for five years (2016-20) during the Jim Harbaugh era.
Moore was asked what message he has shared with defensive players about Wink Martindale’s future.
“That he’ll be here,” he replied.
The Wolverines’ defense took a step back, but it was still solid. Martindale’s unit ranked No. 21 in total defense (312.2 yards per game) – No. 13 against the rush (101.7 yards per game) and No. 53 against the pass (210.6).
In the most important stat, points against, U-M ranked No. 16 (18.7 points per game). Michigan did struggle at times getting off the field on third down, allowing opponents to convert 38.7% of the time (No. 60) and was even worse on fourth down, permitting teams to move the sticks 57.7% (15-for-26) of the time, tied for No. 87 nationally.
Martindale was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in America.
Justice Haynes return in 2026 a possibility?
The Wolverines could have the best backfield in the nation in 2026.
Jordan Marshall, a redshirt freshman who seems likely to have a U-M captaincy in his future, will return for next season. The Wolverines also add Savion Hiter, a top-10 prospect in the class of 2026, ranked as the No. 1 running back (per 247 Sports’ composite rankings).
Justice Haynes, the transfer from Alabama who was U-M’s breakout star the first two months before suffering a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire month of November, could still return. Moore said all parties involved are actively in discussion.
“That’ll be conversations that we’re still having,” Moore said.
Moore said Sunday that Haynes was “progressing” well and did not rule out his participation in the Citrus Bowl. Haynes ran for 857 yards on 121 carries (7.1 per carry) and 10 touchdowns in 2025.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Justice Haynes, Rod Moore could return to Michigan football in 2026
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