Thursday, QB recruit David Moore will make his college choice. This is the story of how his recruitment evolved through a road trip.
What is it like to be a really good high school quarterback ... who's not yet mentioned as one of the nation's elite? To be fawned over by many colleges, yet slow played by elites? Are you tempted to commit to a lesser program that really needs you? Or do you hold out to see if a mega school misses on its No. 1 target?
David Moore of Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton, rated as a three-star on the 247Sports Composite, is such a QB. Recognizing that he had better talent than was reflected in his offers, I tracked Moore's recruitment.
Entering the timeline, Moore had three power-conference scholarship offers: Oregon State, Illinois and Wake Forest. He also held offers from smaller programs like Colorado State, Ohio and Houston.
One thing Moore heard from coaches at other mid-majors is that they are scared because he has offers from power schools. They think he will automatically pick one of those.
Yet Moore suspects bigger schools are holding off because he has so many offers from mid-majors. Big schools do often piggyback each other and are sometimes reluctant to be first. He thinks some majors believe they can wait until the last second.
In early April, Moore went on a road trip. We spoke after each visit.
At North Carolina, April 7
Moore thinks there is a good chance he'll be offered. He visited in 2014 for the San Diego State game, and UNC talks to him a lot.
An excited Keith Heckendorf, quarterbacks coach, meets David and his dad outside. They like Heckendorf. The QB and his dad are whisked off on a tour, where UNC shows Moore he'd have a tutor for every business class.
Then it's a film session for 45 minutes, designed to show Moore how he'd fit into Carolina's up-tempo spread offense. Moore will describe Heckendorf as the most intense coach he meets.
But there is no offer.
"They said they want to come to a spring practice and see how I command an offense in person," Moore says.
That doesn't fit the timeline he'd set: committing in May.
He's disappointed. A second trip to Chapel Hill, one-on-one attention, and still no offer.
But he knows there are other QBs higher on North Carolina's board, including training partner Jawon Pass. Moore doesn't necessarily think Pass is going to pick Carolina, but teams rarely move on from their targets until they are certain they won't land them.
It's time to "shift gears," he says.
Pressed on what would happen if UNC offers, Moors says he'd be open, but he's not waiting. Moore adds that Carolina has a lot of good quarterbacks, so while early playing time isn't the most important thing, he'd have a lot of competition.
Dad counsels Moore to have patience.
Travel day, April 8
He's going to the Lone Star State with his mom and little brother.
David's not unfamiliar with Texas. He lived in Dallas from grades 7 to 10. He considers himself a Georgian, but prefers Dallas to Atlanta.
First up will be Texas A&M.
Moore visited in the summer of '14. He says A&M asked him to come back in December, a visit he was unable to make. At the time, his recruiter was David Beatty, who has since become the head coach at Kansas. A&M's recruitment picked back up thanks to running backs coach Clarence McKinney.
Moore is not expecting an offer. He's aware the Aggies have offered Dillon Sterling-Cole and Jalen Hurts, both of whom play less than two hours from A&M.
North Carolina lands a commitment from Logan Byrd, a pro-style QB from Kathleen (Ga.) Veterans. Byrd is a 6'2, 229-pounder who isn't nearly as mobile as Moore, which is curious, considering how much UNC uses QB mobility in head coach Larry Fedora's offense. Moore is even less optimistic about Carolina.
At Texas A&M, April 9
"[The facilities] are way nicer than anything I've been to," says Moore.
damn A&M is perfect
— David Moore (@David_Moore5) April 9, 2015Moore spends a lot of time with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. Moore sits in on a QB meeting, and the vibe he gets is much different from UNC. The coach is super laid back. They break down film of Aaron Rodgers throwing back-shoulder fades.
Moore thinks the hype around sophomore QB Kyle Allen, the top-rated QB in the 2014 class, is spot on. But he doesn't see the depth that UNC had, which makes him think he could be in line after Allen. Moore also knows 2015 five-star signee Kyler Murray is not yet on campus; there are rumors Murray could turn pro in baseball.
Moore dreams of being able to throw to athletic freaks like A&M's. The Aggies also impress his mom with their broadcasting studio and academic presentation. In addition to business, he's interested in media.
His instincts are correct: A&M does not offer. The hangup is largely geography. Moore says A&M told him it prefers in-state quarterbacks because QBs have to be recruiters, and it's easier to do that if they're nearby.
Texas schools rarely leave their home state for QB prospects, and 17 of A&M's last 18 signees have been from Texas.
A&M won't rule out an offer. The Aggies want to see him throw this spring. They raise the possibility of taking two quarterbacks, but Moore is confident he could beat out whomever else A&M signs.
Because Moore knew he wasn't at the top of A&M's board, he is not bummed out. Plus, tomorrow is a school he's excited to see: Houston.
Moore already holds an offer from the Cougars. He's anticipating one-on-one time with head coach Tom Herman, the former offensive coordinator at Ohio State, and OC Major Applewhite.
Moore is 17 and doesn't remember watching Applewhite play, but enjoys hearing how the lesser-recruited Applewhite battled mega-recruit Chris Simms at Texas.
What if Houston pushes for a commitment?
Moore hedges.
"I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm not looking to commit," Moore says. "I'd probably wait to get back home and discuss it, and I'm going to SMU the next day."
At Houston, April 10
A&M is a tough act to follow.
"I don't care that much about the facilities, but the difference was huge," Moore says.
Moore could see himself at Houston because of how Applewhite teaches. The QB grasps the offensive concepts quickly and has no trouble following along.
Herman and Applewhite spend a combined two hours with Moore and his mother. Moore loves the family feel. Houston makes him feel wanted. Houston does try to land the commitment, but not with high-pressure tactics.
"I can't pick a school just because they really want me," Moore says. "I need to pick the best option for me."
He wants to keep his May timeline. He does not want to reserve a spot only to flip later, especially because he's going to be the leader of the class — though he allows that if Texas, A&M or Arizona State came in, he'd have a hard time waiting.
Houston's staff connected with his mom. But the school lacks a campus feel. Moore felt the city was "right on top" of the university. His mom isn't sure it provides a true college experience.
Moore is excited to check out SMU tomorrow. He's familiar with the work new SMU head coach Chad Morris did with QB Deshaun Watson as Clemson's OC. And he is tight with coordinator Joe Craddock, a former assistant at Clemson who recruited him before the Tigers went with Zerrick Cooper. Craddock stayed in touch despite Cooper's commitment.
The head coach messages Moore to make sure he is still coming.
"If you liked H-Town, you'll really love your home in Dallas," Moore says Morris said.
At SMU, April 11
The visit coincides with SMU's junior day, but the Moores are running late. Ever the QB, he doesn't want to blame the late arrival on his family.
SMU's facilities are nice and being upgraded. In Moore's eyes, these resources are closer to A&M's than UH's were. And he much prefers Dallas to Houston.
Moore meets administrators, and while he was surprised that the offer didn't come immediately, he suspects by the tone of the introductions that one is coming.
During practice, he's impressed with SMU's "Pony Up" tempo. SMU's coaches freely tell him the team was awful last year and has a lot of work to do. He appreciates the honesty. The quality of SMU's receivers impresses him.
So incredibly excited to receive an offer from my family down in Dallas at SMU ! ✌️ #PonyUp#PonyUpTempo#SFGpic.twitter.com/JbOuuBGem4
— David Moore (@David_Moore5) April 11, 2015Finally it comes, along with one-on-one time with Morris and Craddock. Ninety minutes.
The reason for the wait? The Texas thing. Morris is from Texas, and like A&M, he understands the high school scene.
It seems that if SMU was going to offer a QB from out-of-state, it wanted to do so in a way that would introduce him to other targets. Moore having lived in Dallas helps assuage the concern. For SMU's coaches, Moore making the trip to get his offer in person shows his interest level.
Morris' pitch leaves a mark.
We've been average for a long time. Who will be our hallmark player? We need a modern star. Kids your age didn't get to see Eric Dickerson. You can be to us what RG3 was to Baylor. When people think SMU football, they're going to think David Moore.
The staff impresses Moore's mom, especially with academics. Morris says he wants to graduate 100 percent of his players, and the prominent SMU alumni base is attractive.
The staff doesn't pressure for a commitment. It acts confident. If Moore wants in, he's in.
But there's a caveat: Once you commit, no visiting other schools. Don't jump on before you are sure. And once you are on board, we are all in. No recruiting other QBs.
Moore says Craddock knows he is about to blow up as a prospect. The coach doesn't want him to commit now and then flip when Auburn comes by, since it would make SMU look like a lesser program.
Moore appreciates the candor. SMU has done a great job.
"It was the best overall visit," Moore says. "I was surprised."
Back to Atlanta
Utah's interest was out of the blue. But the Utes have a connection to the Elite 11, at which Moore had an excellent camp — former QB Travis Wilson was a counselor at the finals.
Utah co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick is coming to see Moore throw in two weeks, as are coaches from Boston College. Both utilize QB mobility, and Moore could see himself in either offense. And his grandfather was a professor at BC.
Auburn and Ohio State are coming to his spring practice in May. Arizona State and Tennessee continue to show interest.
Moore's waiting to see where Jarrett Guarantano, the four-star from New Jersey, goes on April 15. Once that happens, he'll see where he stands with either the Buckeyes or Volunteers.
He's also less married to his May commitment plan. With interest picking up, he might want to take more visits before committing.
April 16: Tennessee gets its No. 1 target
On Thursday, Tennessee lands Guarantano. Ohio State moves to its No. 2, which turns out to be Tristen Wallace of Desoto (Texas). Moore was under no illusions that he was Ohio State's backup plan.
Moore does get good news: Utah extends an offer without coming to see him in person. It's a vote of confidence.
Excited to say I just received my 17th offer from the Utah Utes !! #GoUtes#PAC12#SFGpic.twitter.com/KEEQxa916J
— David Moore (@David_Moore5) April 16, 2015Moore might need to push back his date, since he does not want to commit somewhere without visiting.
April 20: The timeline's about to change
This surprises Moore, as the Demon Deacons take a commitment from Jamie Newman. Moore liked Wake Forest and wonders if some of his offers are drying up.
The QB announces he won't wait until May. He will commit on April 23.
Happy to say I will be committing this Thursday afternoon and my top 5 in no order is Wake Forest, Houston, SMU, Colorado State and Utah !
— David Moore (@David_Moore5) April 21, 2015We'll have more here from Moore before and after his decision.