Jake Moody: ‘It felt right in my heart’ to return to Michigan
Michigan kicker Jake Moody’s return, along with punter Brad Robbins’ decision to come back for a sixth year, should give U-M one of the nation’s top kicking games. If the Wolverines repeat as Big Ten champions — and that’s the goal — they could be a big reason why.
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Hidden yardage in the kicking game and outstanding field goal kicking are some of the more underrated aspects of a successful season. Moody expects to bring more of both after a season in which he won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker.
He could have gone to the NFL, but there was one simple reason he returned to Michigan for a fifth season.
“I just wasn’t ready to leave yet,” he said from the BG 10 2022 Champions Mega Football Camp near Chicago. “I love it at Michigan. The NFL is a big step, and I felt like I could increase my chances to make it to the NFL, come back and enjoy one more year of college.”
It was not an easy decision, of course. Several suggested he leave on top and give the pros a shot, and he would have been one of the top kickers in the draft, if not No. 1. Moody led the team with 125 points, the second-highest single-season total in program history and most-ever by a kicker. He made 23 of 25 field goal attempts and a program-record 56 PATs.
Moody also averaged 62.8 yards on 98 kickoffs and notched 65 touchbacks in earning consensus All-American honors. Topping those numbers will be tough, but he’s excited to try.
“It was so tough,” he said of the decision to return to Michigan. “I was pretty stressed out for about two, three weeks. I was talking to everybody I could, trying to make the most informed decision I could.
“Eventually, I just kind of went with my gut. It kind of just felt right in my heart to come back to Michigan for one more year.”
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was “pretty happy” to get the news, as anyone would expect. Moody will enter with the same goals as last year to help lead the team to another title.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “All-American, Lou Groza … those are the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. So to achieve it … it’s pretty awesome when you set goals and you achieve them.
“But we’re not done yet. I’ve got one more season. I’ve got to try and repeat last season.”
There were plenty of capable kickers behind him even if he did leave, he noted in typical humble fashion. But getting him back for another year is huge for a Michigan team with high expectations, and Moody can’t wait to give it another shot.
