Joe Moore originally planned to commit on his 18th birthday back in August. However, when a planned late-July visit to Arizona State was not able to be taken, the four-star defensive end from St. Louis postponed that decision so he could see Tempe. This past weekend, Moore finally did make his Arizona State visit, which teed up a commitment announcement on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Moore took his first official visits to Minnesota and North Carolina in June, but the Tar Heels fell off his list of contenders not long after. Missouri, where his father starred as a running back in the 1970’s, was an off and on contender down the stretch. This decision, though, came down to a trio of schools: Arizona State, Illinois and Minnesota. Illinois hosted Moore in late July and he resonated with the coaches, players and atmosphere in Champaign. That Oct. 11 official visit weekend at Arizona State, however, clinched the commitment for Arizona State.
IN HIS WORDS
“Coach (Jamar) Cain and I had a connection when he first came to the school. They were one of the schools who took a chance on me early and was always there. The Pac-12 style of play, the weather, the fans… I just knew it was the place to be when I landed there.”
RIVALS’ REACTION
Moore won the Defensive Line MVP award at the St. Louis Rivals Camp this past May amongst tough competition. He checks a lot of boxes, from size to athleticism to quickness to strength. He has the skill set to do anything he is going to be asked to do at the defensive end position for the Sun Devils, who also benefit by now having a connection to the talent-rich St. Louis area. Moore has an older brother who has a home in the Phoenix area, so that helped alleviate some of the concern over distance. The biggest factor in this commitment, though, appears to be first-year defensive line coach Jamar Cain. Throughout his recruitment Moore was effusive in his appreciation of the connection with his future position coach.
