We shared with you the tough process leading up to the quarterback's commitment to SMU, but now it just gets more interesting.
SMU scored a major victory Thursday when Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton High School QB David Moore committed to Chad Morris and co. over the likes of Utah, Oregon State, Illinois and Houston.
Moore is 6'2, athletic and has a strong arm. As he told SB Nation during our month of following his visits, SMU had advantages: He lived in Dallas for four years, and SMU's new staff was recruiting Moore when at Clemson in 2014.
The three-star had planned to commit in late May and was considering moving his timetable as power schools began to send offers.
But things changed when he saw Wake Forest, a school he really liked, accept a commitment from another QB. He worried spots were drying up. And he got wind of a rumor that another QB was going to grab the spot at SMU, which went 1-11 in 2014.
"It really felt like the place for me, and I had Wake Forest and SMU at the top of my list. Wake got its QB commitment and is only taking one, so that left SMU at the top spot at a school I could see myself at," Moore said. "I could see myself being comfortable at SMU even if football didn't work out, and I have a great relationship with SMU's coaches."
Moore said he was surprised that SMU was his "best visit," and that one thing that he would have liked to hear more from other schools is how they would specifically use him. SMU did that.
He says his mom, with whom he lives, is cool with the decision, but that his dad thought he should wait for better offers.
Some schools aren't happy
"Why would you go to a team with no wins, over a Pac-12 team?" Moore said a Utah coach asked. "I looked at your top five, and none of those teams can compete with us. When I recruit, I recruit against guys who are choosing between USC, Oregon, Oregon State; not against Houston and SMU. You shouldn't worry about Wake Forest."
Moore said the Utah coach told him pushing up his timetable was a mistake.
"He was bent out of shape."
Moore said the approach made him feel weird, but it did make him think.
Colorado State backed off and won't be coming to see Moore.
But big schools don't see SMU as a threat
"Boston College asked me where I committed, and I said SMU, and they said 'OK, we're still coming, then,'" Moore said, noting BC told him it planned to offer him regardless of his commitment to SMU. "That's going to be kind of awkward to get an offer like Boston College on the day I commit to SMU."
Moore said Auburn, which has not offered him, messaged him when he sent out his revised timeline, asking, "What happened to May?" He says Auburn will still visit him this spring.
And a spot Moore had called one of his "dream schools," Arizona State, is not backing off at all. Moore says ASU's OC and receivers coach will be by Monday and that ASU plans another visit later in spring.
Moore's high school is a major talent producer, having sent 12 recruits to FBS schools in the last three classes, so many schools would be stopping by anyway.
What if Moore gets a "dream offer?"
One thing was made clear: SMU doesn't want soft commitments.
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.
"I'm going to talk to [the SMU coaches] about it," Moore said about whether ASU or A&M eventually offer. "I'll talk to them and say, 'Hey, Arizona State was one of my dream schools, and it would be smart for me to do my due diligence; what do you think?' I don't know how they will respond.
"This is going to be really interesting."
SB Nation will continue to track Moore's recruitment throughout spring.