Sherrone Moore leaves door open for Rod Moore, Mikey Keene to return in 2026

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Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore spoke to the media ahead of a matchup against the Texas Longhorns in the Citrus Bowl, and he left the door open for safety Rod Moore and quarterback Mikey Keene to possibly return in 2026.

“We would love to have both of them back,” Sherrone Moore said. “We probably don’t plan on playing either Mikey or Rod in this game. We’ll see, but it’s something that we have to leave to the doctors and meet with the families about.”

In order to return to Michigan next year, Moore and Keene would need to apply for and be granted a medical redshirt. Moore appeared in three games and Keene didn’t play at all, so theoretically, both could receive an extra year of eligibility.

The previous two years have been very turbulent for Moore, who suffered a torn ACL in March of 2024 and missed all of the 2024 campaign before returning to the field this season, only to re-aggravate the injury and sit out the final six games.

Meanwhile, Keene transferred to Michigan this year and was hoping to compete for the starting quarterback job, but he never saw the field. The Fresno State transfer dealt with an upper-body injury that kept him sidelined throughout the season.

Moore, a two-time captain at Michigan, spent five years with the Wolverines. On the other hand, Keene spent two years at Fresno State and UCF each, so the NCAA would also have to grant him a sixth year of eligibility for him to return in 2026.

The possibility of both players returning is up in the air for the time being, but there should be more clarity in the aftermath of the bowl game. One thing is clear: Michigan is very interested in Moore and Keene remaining with the program.

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