Koy Moore finds his perfect fit at LSU
KENNER, La. -- One quick glance at Koy Moore and one thing is blatantly clear: he prefers to stick out.
His personality, his style of play, his wardrobe ... it all adds to being just a tad different from the pack.
Admittedly, a top prospect from Louisiana who grew up right outside New Orleans playing their college football at LSU is pretty textbook, but Moore's path was anything but scripted.
Moore committed to Southern Cal over LSU a little more than a year ago at this time, choosing to take a unique path to put on for his city and honor the late, great local legend Joe McKnight, who starred at John Curtis Christian School and then USC before being victimized in a road-rage shooting in 2016. That commitment did not stand the test of time, though, as attrition on the USC coaching staff gave Moore pause and reason to reconsider a plethora of other schools, namely LSU.
On his 18th birthday, Moore followed his gut and pledged to the Tigers, giving Coach Ed Orgeron, first-year passing game coordinator Joe Brady and wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph a massive commitment from the state's No. 3-ranked prospect.
"The situation at USC with Tee Martin and the coaches, the coaches being changed, I wanted to find somewhere else to go because I didn't know how the new coaching staff would be," Moore revealed to Rivals. "I started going to camps and Joe Brady came. I've seen the new offense on film and I like the new offense and how he used Michael Thomas in the slot, where I'll play. It's the perfect position for me and it's a little different vibe up there that I like."
Moore prefers to stand out and Brady deserves credit for embracing that approach in his recruitment.
Moore showed up to RCS New Orleans this spring decorated in patterned pink short shorts and those who got distracted in coverage were ultimately beat. His style is influenced by NBA superstar Russell Westbrook, who in the sports world is a fashion icon. The goal, in simplest terms, is to stand out.
There's no denying that Moore does that -- both on and away from the field -- and Brady found a way to appeal to that. The former New Orleans Saints offensive assistant proposed that the Rivals100 wide receiver test out the slot position. Moore privately worked out for Brady and Joseph in June and together, decided this was the right path.
"I run the best routes in the nation, so I think it's the perfect position for me to play," Moore said. "I can get open and find holes in the zone better than anyone else in the nation. I think it'll be perfect."
The last year has been turbulent, at times, for Moore. From backing off his commitment to USC, rethinking his college position and balancing pushes from not only LSU but Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State Tennessee and Arizona State, in addition to interests from Alabama and Clemson.
One thing that hasn’t changed has been his devotion to Kenner and the community he grew up in.
Six days before going public with his commitment to LSU, Moore returned to Kenner, to the block he grew up on and the people who watched him run into trash cans and perfect his route-running with cones under the watch of his older brother, Corey Hardy.
The only thing that’s changed is now, the conversation centers around his floral purple and gold shorts. And there’s a mounting excitement about seeing the finished product play under the lights in Tiger Stadium.
“It all started right here,” Moore said, pointing to the trash can where he earned a scar over his eye and the brick apartment building that was often in the way of football practice.
“I remember catching a go-ball and I ran into the trash can and still caught it. It helped me learn to catch in traffic. It’s pretty crazy, from a small crown to playing on one of the biggest stages in the nation. I learned everything isn’t gonna come easy. I was taught the right way to play football and I’m happy Mickey (Joseph) saw something in me before I played varsity football. I’m happy about that, too, and the people I grew up around who made me tough. I was tackled on these bricks right here and that’s a good thing.”