The recruiting process might have started out slowly for TJ Moore but that is certainly not how it ended.
The freshman wideout dove into aspects of his recruitment on Tuesday, in his first time meeting with the media at Clemson, noting that it was not until after the first game of his junior season that college teams really started to take notice.
“It didn’t start until spring of my sophomore year,” Moore said from the Smart Media Center. “At first it started off slow, but after one game it started to blow up.”
“The first game of the season I had like 4 catches for like 140 yards and two touchdowns and I feel like that just blew me up out of nowhere. I may have gotten like 20 offers after that game.”
The Tigers would not offer until that January after the completion of his junior season and later that summer after taking an official visit to Clemson, Moore announced his commitment.
Despite numerous other teams attempting to lure him with promises of money, Moore knew where he wanted to play.
“When it came down to making my final decision, there were teams throwing money at me, this and that, trying to bribe me,” Moore added. “But Clemson felt right. Clemson is what I was taught to like when I was a kid.”
For Moore, it went much deeper than who could offer the biggest pay day. He was more interested in the right cultural fit and he found that at Clemson with Dabo Swinney.
“You have the proper role models,” Moore said. “Coach Swinney is a great role model, matter of fact. Like everything he does, I just really appreciate. Any player, it doesn’t matter who it is, he says hi to you three or four times a day. No matter if you are a senior or not. He will text you, he calls my mom. He keeps great contact with my family.”
As a senior at Tampa Catholic, Moore reeled in 50 catches for 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 25.4 yards per catch and 106.0 yards per game. He scored at least one touchdown in nine of his 12 games. He then went on to earn offensive MVP honors from On3 during the All-American Bowl week.
By the time his recruitment ended Moore was rated a 5-star prospect by multiple recruiting services and a consensus Top 50 talent.
While the freshman made his debut and caught his first pass in the Tigers’ season-opening loss to Georgia, he played just six snaps and did not get on the field until late in the game. In Week 2, in the home-opener against App State, Moore saw the field early and often, catching three passes for 44 yards, including his first touchdown.
And now that he has been on campus a few months, he still feels just as strongly as ever about the decision to go to Clemson.
“I just really respect coach Swinney,” Moore said. “That’s what made me gravitate towards Clemson. Just Clemson in general made me feels great and I just knew that was the right decision.”
A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
Local News
Comments / 0