Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Jake Moody In 2020

Michigan's kicker situation was puzzling last year so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out in 2020.

We continue our series as we look at each potential contributor on Michigan's roster in numerical order and look at what would be a stellar, standard and subpar season in 2020.

We're on to No. 2, junior kicker Jake Moody.

It's hard to label Moody. Is he a starter? Is he the backup? You could really say yes to both of those questions. At times, he seemed like the go-to guy for field goals. Down the stretch of the 2019 season however, it was Quinn Nordin who was called upon to make kicks.

The 6-0, 198-pounder has the leg and the consistency to be a starting kicker, but so does Nordin. In 2018, Moody was the guy. He went 10 of 11 and banged through a 48-yarder. Last year, Moody and Nordin jockeyed much more. Moody went just 6 of 9 in 2019 and found himself on the sidelines down the stretch while Nordin knocked through kick after kick.

So the question is, what kind of season would be considered stellar, standard and subpar for Moody?

Stellar

For Moody, a stellar season would involve him being the guy again. Whether it's due to an injury to Nordin or a flat out win in the kicking competition, getting the nod on field goals and extra points would elevate Moody to stellar status. He's already the kick off specialist so if he's called upon to be the full-time placekicker as well, that would be a very good season for him as Nordin finished out his eligibility. 

Of course, making the kicks if he's called upon to take them is important too, but taking over all kicking duties would be the perfect scenario for Moody as a junior.

Standard

A standard season would look something like last year — split duties for Nordin and Moody — but maybe a slightly better percentage. College kickers should make at least 75% of their kicks and Moody fell short of that last season. If Moody and Nordin each get their share at field goal attempts, and Moody comes away with 8-10 trie and makes 70-75% of them, that would be a pretty standard season in Michigan's strange kicking rotation.

Subpar

If Nordin wins the job going away resulting in Moody only kicking off, I'd say that's a subpar season for the junior. The job would likely be his and his alone as a senior, but the 2020 season would have to be considered a lost year, essentially.

My Thoughts

I think Moody might go through a subpar season in 2020. Moody only attempted one kick over the final five games of the 2019 season, while Nordin attempted 10 — and made them all including a program record 57-yarder agains Alabama in the bowl game. Because of Nordin's strong finish, and Moody's absence, I think the job is Nordin's and Nordin's alone heading into 2020. If Nordin stays healthy, and doesn't get hit with the yips, we might not see Moody try a field goal all year.

Previous Players

No. 1 — Ambry Thomas
No. 2 — Carlo Kemp