Commitment Profile and Film Analysis – WR Josh Moore

Despite signing two of the top receivers in Texas during the early signing period, Tom Herman and the Texas coaching staff continued to search for talented wide receivers to join the 2018 recruiting class. The search paid off, as Yoakum WR Josh Moore shut down his recruitment and committed to Texas. Moore ranks as the 17th best wide receiver and the 86th overall player in the country, according the 247sports composite rankings.

Early in the recruiting process, many thought that Josh was a heavy Texas lean. His brother, Jordan, also held a Texas offer as a defensive back and the duo was very close to Charlie Strong. Following the firing of Strong and hiring of Tom Herman, interest seemed to cool between the two parties. Jordan announced his commitment to Texas A&M on Christmas Eve of 2016, and Josh continued to rack up offers from all over the country. On June 18th, Josh committed to Nebraska and head coach Mike Riley. Riley was relieved of his duties though following a poor 2017 season, and it led to Josh reopening his recruitment. Wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer and Tom Herman did an excellent job of rekindling their relationship with Moore, who officially visited Texas the weekend of January 20th and said that Austin “felt like home”. Ultimately, Texas was able to fend off the likes of Florida State, Texas A&M and Oregon, securing a commitment from another top wide receiver in the 2018 class.

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Pros:

• His playmaking ability shows all over the field. Whether it was offense, defense or special teams, he always seems to be around the ball
• Reliable pass catcher. Does a good job of using his hands and being fluid catching passes.
• Knows what to do with the ball in his hands. Has experience at wildcat quarterback and running back.
• Plays a lot taller than 6’1, understands leverage and using his body to better position himself
• Displays great physicality on both sides of the ball. Not afraid to stick his head in and throw a block for a teammate. Very willing blocker. Knows how to control DB’s because of his own experience on defense
• Has the ability to make people miss in space. What he lacks in straight line speed, he makes up for in quick twitch movements and agility. [/one-half-first]

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Cons:

• Moore was often the most dominant player on the field when he was at Yoakum. He rarely faced press coverage and almost always had 3 inches on every defensive back he faced.
• The Yoakum offense was run-centric, with Moore sometimes being the only wide receiver on the field. There will be an adjustment period to the complexity of playing in a college offense
• The route tree was limited in his high school playbook. The go route and the hitch route seemed to be what was utilized 90% of the time. It remains to be seen if he has the ability to go over the middle and make catches in traffic.
• Doesn’t have elite straight line speed. Won’t ever be mistaken for a speed burner or a guy who can get behind a DB.
• Despite towering over most of his high school competition, Moore will still need to add more weight to endure everyday life as a receiver.

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Summary

https://hornsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/jmeditdsm.jpgWhen watching Moore play, one of the first things that stick out is his playmaking ability. He played all over the field at Yoakum, lining up at quarterback, receiver, corner and handling punt returns. He possesses good hands and shows the ability to high point balls at receiver, using his 41.5 inch vertical to his advantage. I was impressed with his physicality and ability to hit when watching his defensive snaps, which could allow to get on the field on special teams early in his college career. Despite not being considered a speedster, Moore has the ability to make people miss in the open field and shows good agility with the ball in his hands. He reminds me a little bit of Lorenzo Joe, a guy who was praised for his reliability as a pass catcher and willingness to do the dirty work at receiver.

Moore is very gifted athlete but will need some time and proper development to help him reach his ceiling. He often physicality overmatched his high school competition, so he will need to adjust to the college game. Moore played in a run based offense at Yoakum and rarely faced true press coverage, something he will see often during his time in college. A full year with Yancy McKnight would do a world of good for the 170 pounder as he looks to add good weight.

Final Verdict

In what will go down as one of the crazier recruitments of the 2018 cycle, it is only fitting that Moore ended up where many people originally thought he would. Moore will probably need a redshirt year in 2018 but could be making an impact as early as 2019. Tom Herman has done an excellent job of establishing and developing relationships with recruits all over the state, and the addition of Moore shows that the coaching staff will never throw in the towel on a recruitment until the letter of intent in signed.