Recruitment for defensive tackle Jason Moore started early, but the Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha star didn’t rush the process. The Rivals100 prospect made it to a few college games last season but saved the majority of his visits for this spring, opting to reschedule his official visits for trips to Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Maryland and Ohio State to use.
Notre Dame seemed to have the inside track early on, but Ohio State was able to win over Moore and his family. Moore ditched his decision to commit to the Buckeyes at Rivals.com.
“I just feel like it’s the best place to develop myself as a person, to be the best version of myself on and off the field,” Moore said. “I feel like I have the support system around me every day that drives me and I have people who really develop me on the field as well. Also, I feel like every two years a lot of tough guys come along which definitely pushes me to get better every day. That was really great for me.
“It was definitely tough,” he said of his decision. “I had many concerns. After every visit I thought this was the school. After this recent visit I really made time for my family and we all decided that we believe this would be the best fit for me to develop as a man.
“Coach Larry Johnson was definitely a big influence,” Moore said. “I just see everything he’s done, the respect he has from everyone and the confidence he has, so I put a lot of faith in him to develop as a man on and off the field and to commit to to make the best version of myself .
“They definitely work every day,” he said. “I was able to see a workout while I was out there so you can really see how they work. One thing they told me about was all the off-the-field things like mentorships and internships that really gave them a lot of opportunities that could make them more money outside of the NFL.
“Obviously you work for the NFL and that’s the dream, but the field was up there, they’re going to give you opportunities to pursue what you want to do in life,” Moore said. “It was definitely noticed.
“I’m also trying to include John Walker,” he said. “I was with him. I was visiting him, so we were up there together. Our families also established a good relationship. I’m definitely trying to get him on board. I’m also trying to get Desmond Umeozulu from around here at Flowers. That’s what I’m big on right now.”
Landing Moore’s engagement is a major boost to Ohio State’s frontline. He joins Will Smith as the only two defensive line commitments in their class of 2023, but they’ll surely have company soon enough. Moore hasn’t been shy in naming Walker and Umeozulu as players he hopes to join him with in Columbus, and there’s a good chance both will end up in scarlet and gray.
As a player, Moore has excellent skills that should allow him to play multiple roles inside the Ohio State Defense Line. So much about his game will depend on his physical development once he arrives on campus, but he’s already quite a technically advanced player so defensive line guru Larry Johnson has plenty to keep him busy. Moore does a good job with his hands to break away from offensive linemen and uses his impressive speed to get to the ball carrier. He also shows great balance for a player his size and uses it to his advantage when slipping past offensive linemen on his way to the backfield.