Over the bye week, the No. 20 Michigan football team said it was deciding to spend more time on the fundamentals, working on drops and mixing around the depth chart in the wide receiver room. Looking to help freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood continue to grow his pass game, the depth of the receiver room was looking to expand. But rather than growing, the room is shrinking with the departure of a potential role player.
On Thursday, first reported by Wolverines Wire’s Isaiah Hole and confirmed by a Michigan spokesperson, junior wide receiver Frederick Moore has left the program.
Going into and coming out of the offseason, Moore was expected to be one of the main wideouts competing for a starting spot as an upperclassman. But in fall camp, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore announced that alongside graduate Donaven McCulley and junior Semaj Morgan, sophomore Channing Goodwin would be the third starter in the room.
As a result, Frederick didn’t record a single reception this season and only had 18 snaps on offense. Frederick also contributed on special teams this season, but wasn’t a returner and didn’t have any tackles.
His freshman season in 2023, Frederick had 2 receptions for 14 yards. Then last year as a sophomore, Frederick tallied 128 yards on 11 receptions, good for fourth on the Wolverines. Most notably Fredrick found paydirt for his first career touchdown in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama. The noteworthy performance against the Crimson Tide was seemingly foreshadowing and sophomore to junior year leap, but that never came to fruition.
The Wolverines will now have to rely more on other players such as freshman Andrew Marsh, junior Kendrick Bell or even burning the redshirt of freshman Jamar Browder, who hasn’t played yet this year. In a wide receiver room that is still looking to improve on depth and hammer down on the fundamentals, losing a player only shrinks their potential as a unit.
