The 2021 Lou Groza award winner is ready to take his talents to the National Football League.
The 99th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, kicker Jake Moody was selected by the San Francisco 49ers during the third round Friday night.
After five years at Michigan, college football’s best kicker in 2021 looks to continue his career success at the NFL level. Converting on 82.9% of his field goal attempts this past season, Moody was a rock for the Wolverines en route to their second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
The poster child of consistency, Moody attempted 60 field goals in his final two years at Michigan, converting on 52 and scoring 272 points on fourth downs alone. The 2021 consensus All-American set single-season program records for made field goals (29), PATs (60), points scored (147) and 40-plus-yard field goals in a season (10) in 2022.
Only the second kicker drafted in the top 100 in 17 years, Moody’s high selection reflects his value not only to the Wolverines, but also to his future franchise. The 49ers hope Moody will create an immediate impact for a team losing long-time NFL placekicker Robbie Gould.
Moody is used to immediate impacts. In his first game kicking for Michigan against Indiana in 2018, he set the record for single-game kick scoring for the Wolverines and field goals in a game, scoring 19 points on 6 field goal makes.
And on the same day that Michigan says hello to incoming kicker and Saline, Michigan native James Turner, it says goodbye to its most successful kicker in program history.