Texas Tech '18 TX WR - Joshua Moore (Transfer to Texas Tech)

Rivals.com
Scout.com

Wide Receiver
4 STARS
Yoakum
Yoakum, TX
RR: 5.8
Ht: 6'3"
Wt: 173 lbs
Class: 2018

Ohio State has offered

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Zone Six going fishing in Texas

Zach Smith and Ohio State’s wide receiver corps have gone from coast to coast in recent years. Noah Brown is from New Jersey, Mike Thomas was from California, James Clark, Torrance Gibson and Ben Victor all hail from Florida. The strength of the Buckeyes brand is at an all-time high but one place that Smith and Zone Six have not yet tried to make an impact? Texas.

That may be changing.

On Thursday night, Ohio State offered Yoakum’s Joshua Moore, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wideout in the 2018 class.

Moore was barely able to contain his excitement about the new offer, his 30th.

“It’s very exciting,” Moore told Landof10. “(Zach) Smith offered. We’ve been in contact for like 2-3 months. Still, it’s a surprise because we’ve never talked about an offer (before.)”

Smith was direct with Moore, the country’s 13th-ranked wide receiver: The Buckeyes are coming.

“I don’t know why they decided to offer,” he said. “He gave me the good news and told me ‘We’re coming after you, so get ready.’ ”

If you break down Moore’s game, it’s easy to see what the Buckeyes like. The 4-star gave Landof10 a self-assessment of his game.

“I describe my game as fast and physical,” Moore said. “I’m a vertical threat and will dominate every play, like Mike Thomas or JuJu Smith.”

As for what he knows about Ohio State, Moore says he’s just learning the details of the school but he’s grown familiar thanks in part to one of his closest friends, La Grange (Texas) 4-star running back J.K. Dobbins, who is committed to the Buckeyes. He’s also got a cousin who recently received an Ohio State offer.

“I’m really close to J.K. Dobbins. He’s like an older brother to me,” he said. “I played against him the past three years in high school. He’s the one that basically paved the way for me to get here. He helped me get to this point by telling me how to get in contact with coaches and things like that. They offered my little cousin, (2019 prospect) Jordan Whittington, a couple days ago. I have a few connections there.”

Moore told Landof10 there’s a “possibility” he could visit the Buckeyes this season, potentially when Dobbins makes his official visit to Columbus. He wants to see more of the Buckeyes but what he knows for sure is that there’s a winning tradition in Columbus.

“I know that they’re a winning program,” he said. “They win a lot. They put every position in the NFL, man. They’re everything I’m looking for in a school.”

 

Texas wide receiver impressed by Ohio State

Last week, Yoakum (Texas) 2018 wide receiver Joshua Moore was offered by the Buckeyes and wide receivers coach Zach Smith. Moore, who told Landof10.com last week that Ohio State commitment J.K. Dobbins is like family to him, saw the Buckeyes in Norman over the weekend as a visitor of the Sooners.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Moore watched the game — he’s considering both schools — and was very impressed by what the Buckeyes were able to do against Oklahoma.

“I definitely did watch the game,” Moore said. “It was crazy. I loved how they used their wide receiver, Noah Brown. They threw the ball up and let him go get it, and that’s exactly how I describe my game, so yes, I took a lot away from that game.”

Ohio State has had coaches in Texas this week and Moore said he believes he may be getting a visit from the Buckeyes soon.

“My coach mentioned to me that they may coming by,” he said. “So I’m sure they will.”

Maybe the Buckeyes are looking for their next big-time wide receiver? Last Friday night, though his team lost, Moore had a monster game with more than 300 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns. He said he’s just trying to find his niche.

“I’m just out there,” he said. “Just a young Noah Brown, man.”

 

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One of nation's top 2018 prospects @_TheJoshuaMoore talked #OhioState visit, LeBron James, more with Urban Meyer VIP https://t.co/fgkZ0xaqyg

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) October 18, 2016

 

MUST MAINTAIN CONSTANT CONTACT

In the month since Ohio State offered Yoakum, Texas, wide receiver Joshua Moore, programs such as Georgia, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Texas A&M have followed suit. That's why head coach Urban Meyer spend a good portion of Monday night on the phone with the four-star prospect.

“It went great. We talked for a while. The vibe was great,” Moore told Eleven Warriors. “It meant a lot. He told me LeBron was going to be in town, then we starting talking about how they're preparing for the week and about me coming up and meeting the rest of the staff. He said he couldn't wait to see me.”

The 6-foot-1, 178-pounder is considered the 11th-best wideout and the No. 77 overall prospect in the Class of 2018. He hopes to make it to Columbus for an unofficial visit before the end of the season.

“I'll definitely be up soon,” Moore said. “I just don't have a date yet.”

Ohio State offered both Moore and his fraternal twin, Jordan, in September, adding to their already impressive list of more than 25 offers apiece. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Jordan Moore is considered the 19th-best safety and the No. 38 player in the state of Texas for the Class of 2018.

The pair plan on playing together in college, and share offers from Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M, among others.

 

DOUBLE TEAM

Since extending an offer in mid-September, Ohio State has maintained constant contact with Yoakum, Texas, four-star wideout Joshua Moore. In fact, he had just gotten off the phone with wide receivers coach Zach Smith when we caught up on Monday night.

“We had a great conversation,” Moore told Eleven Warriors. “[He's a] great coach. Coach Smith is awesome. Every time we talk, I feel like I've known him my whole life.

“I even talk with coach [Urban] Meyer on a daily basis,” he continued. “He texts me before my game every Friday and checks in with me through my high school coach every now and then, so it's great.”

Ohio State is just one of the more than 40 offers the 6-foot-1, 168-pounder holds from programs such as Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

“It means a lot to me,” Moore said. “Especially coming from a team that's successful at every aspect of the game.”

The Buckeyes have also offered Moore's fraternal twin, Jordan, a four-star safety.

“We talk about [playing together],” Moore said. “We just want to make the best decision for us, and if it happens to be at the same school, then that would be crazy.”

Considered the 11th-best receiver and the No. 77 prospect overall in the Class of 2018, Moore hopes to narrow down his list of schools in January.

 

Texas 2018 WR wants to visit but can’t this weekend
Another player who had planned to be in Columbus this weekend that won’t be is Yoakum (Texas) 4-star wide receiver Joshua Moore.

“I actually talked to Urban Meyer today,” Moore told Land of 10 Monday night. “He texted me during school and checked on me. We talked about visiting and the game plan for the week. I have a playoff game, so I won’t make it.”

Moore, the country’s 11th-ranked wide receiver in the 2018 class, has a twin brother – Jordan – who plans to make a college choice in December. Josh says he’s not impacted by that and not getting to visit places like Ohio State now will just mean he delays any potential decision of his own.

“It doesn’t change my timeline at all,” he said of not visiting. “If anything, I’ll push it back to the Army All-American game in 2018.”

 

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MOORE THAN EXPECTED

Yoakum, Texas, four-star wide receiver Joshua Moore included Ohio State is his Top 14 on Wednesday afternoon alongside Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

"Just the relationships that they've built with me and my family and even my coaches. To me that means a lot," Moore told Eleven Warriors. "When I talk to coach Urban Meyer on the phone, he sounded very interested and he actually texted me twice this week just to check on me along with coach [Zach] Smith. So that's big to me."

The 6-foot-1, 168-pound Moore is considered the eighth-best wideout and the No. 60 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He and his twin, Jordan, earned scholarship offers from Ohio State back in September.

Jordan committed to Texas A&M on Christmas Eve, and the two have talked about playing together in college. That makes it an uphill battle for the Buckeyes, but Moore does plan to use an official visit next year to come to Columbus.

"I'll definitely make it to a game," Moore said. "I'll visit this summer, actually."

 

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54 offers for 4* WR Josh Moore. A very, very impressive list. Even @TheAntHines_Era would find that impressive! https://t.co/v4wxzd0hwW

— Greg Powers 🏟️ (@GPowersScout) January 30, 2017

 

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https://t.co/sjWZfTqCJM

— OSUBasketballJunkie (@ScarletBuckeye2) February 6, 2017

 

ABSOLUTELY STACKED

Though likely overshadowed by the Super Bowl, Yoakum, Texas, four-star wide receiver Joshua Moore announced that he is transferring to IMG Academy for his senior season. He will join fellow targets Verdis Brown, Houston Griffith, T.J. Pledger, Brendan Radley-Hiles and Taron Vincent in Bradenton, Florida.

“I chose to come to IMG because I believe they will help develop my body both academically and physically to compete at the next level,” Moore told Eleven Warriors.

The 6-foot-1, 168-pound Moore is considered the eighth-best receiver and the No. 60 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He recently included Ohio State in his Top 14 alongside Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

Though it will not have an impact on his decision, Moore's twin, Jordan, committed to the Aggies on Christmas Eve.

 

Buckeyes target transferring to IMG and what – if anything – it means

On Sunday night, one of the country’s most-offered juniors, Yoakum, Texas, standout Joshua Moore, announced he was heading out of state … for high school.

Ohio State is one of 55 schools that have offered Moore, and despite the fact that the Buckeyes did very well in Texas in the 2017 cycle, having him in neutral Florida for the next year could prove beneficial for Ohio State. Moore has a twin brother, and though he’s publicly stated that his decision would be his own (his brother Jordan is committed to Texas A&M), this move kind of fortifies that line of thinking.

Moore is the country’s 60th-ranked 2018 prospect and eighth-ranked wide receiver. Having him line up in Bradenton alongside a handful of fellow Buckeyes targets isn’t a bad thing at all for Ohio State.

 

Elite IMG wide receiver @_TheJoshuaMoore has #OhioState as top school, will soon visit #Buckeyes VIP https://t.co/i5Y3HlvJHW

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) February 8, 2017

 

Buckeyes going all-in to woo Joshua Moore
Make no mistake about it, relationships in recruiting are still what “wins.”

Yes, Ohio State has the big stadium and the winning tradition and one of college football’s all-time great coaches, but sometimes it’s the simple things that matter the most.

“I woke up this morning with a text message from every coach on the Buckeyes staff,” Joshua Moore, the country’s 17th-ranked wide receiver in the class of 2018, told Land of 10. “I’ve never had a coaching staff do that before. It means a lot.”

Moore, out of Yoakum, Texas, is now at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and adjusting well to his new school and team. He said this morning’s messages were just the latest in what has become pretty standard operating procedure: talking to the Ohio State staff.

“I’ve been talking to Urban Meyer just about every day,” he said. “He’s been reaching out to me. That just shows me how much interest they have in me. It lets me know they really want me.”

 

Congrats to WR @_TheJoshuaMoore of IMG Academy, FL on his invite to #TheOpening Finals! pic.twitter.com/N1crEo2lDX

— ALL22 (@TheOpening) February 20, 2017

 

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