Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2023 77 BY MIKE SINGER On Jan. 18, Round Rock (Texas) High class of 2024 cornerback Leonard Moore picked up an offer from Notre Dame. Eleven days later, the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder was in South Bend to meet with the coaching staff and get a look at the school's campus with his family. Moore announced Feb. 4 — just six days after the visit — that he would be committing to Notre Dame. His quick decision shows that he "gets" Notre Dame. As the great Lou Holtz once said. "Those who know Notre Dame, no ex- planation's necessary. Those who don't, no explanation will suffice." There wasn't much explaining needed to do here. "I've visited a lot of schools, and I had Penn State and Ohio State visits sched- uled in March. But once I got to Notre Dame, I realized that it had everything I needed," Moore said in announcing his commitment on the 247 Sports You- Tube page. "I was looking for a school that had good academics and good foot- ball. I also wanted to get out of the state of Texas. "Notre Dame has elite academics and elite football. I wanted to be challenged in the classroom and on the field. They play good teams every year, and they have some of the best coaching in the country." On3's rankings have Moore as the No. 60 player in Texas and No. 38 cor- nerback in the na- tion. He is ranked as a three-star recruit for now, but he ap- pears to be on the rise. "His overall foot- ball IQ and intel- ligence will be a great asset to Notre Da m e 's d e fe n se ," Mo o re 's p r iva te trainer, Bernard Blake of Bam Perfor- mance, told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "He can match whatever you need matched. That overall culture fits Leonard as a person." During his junior season, Moore posted 31 tackles, 3 interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown), 4 passes broken up and 2 forced fumbles. Moore reports that in 232 coverage snaps this past fall, he was targeted just 18 times and allowed 3 receptions. He also had 1 punt return for a score. Moore was a unanimous selection for the 2022 Texas District 25-6A first- team defense. As a sophomore in 2021, Moore had 40 tackles, 4 interceptions and 11 passes broken up. He was named the 2021 Texas District 25-6A De- fensive Newcomer of the Year. Moore, who re- ports a weighted 5.1 grade point average, is good friends with Irish class of 2023 wide receiver signee Braylon James, a fellow Round Rock, Texas, native. "Leonard is one of the smartest peo- ple I've ever met in my life," Blake said. "You have to attest a lot of that to his family; he comes from a great family. His dad is a college professor. Athletics is one thing, but academics is what they're in it for. "He's a really smart, pa- tient kid. He's a great stu- dent and his GPA reflects that." Moore picked the Fighting Irish over offers from Ore- gon, Colorado, Duke, Kansas State, Missouri and Vander- bilt. He is Notre Dame's eighth commit of the 2024 cycle thus far and the second defensive back pledge, join- ing Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller cornerback Karson Hobbs. Prep Football Report re- cruiting analyst Tom Lem- ming thinks he is a good pickup for the Irish. "I like him. He has very good length — long arms, quick hands and runs a 4.5 [40-yard dash]," Lemming said. "He's a very good ath- lete. I think he's a four-star player. He'll wind up a four-star when it's all said and done. "You look for a cover cornerback who has long arms, explosive speed and quick hands like him, but they're tough to find. He can run backwards as fast as some receivers can run forward. It's a great catch for Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens." ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE LEONARD MOORE Fighting Irish Snag Texas Cornerback Moore, the No. 60 recruit in Texas and No. 38 cornerback in the 2024 class, committed to the Fighting Irish over Oregon, Colorado and others. PHOTO COURTESY REEL GOAT SPORTS FILM ANALYSIS "You have to start with his combination of height and ball skills. He's measured over 6-1, and he's still growing into his body. He has a lot of physical maturation and development still left to go. He'll continue to fill out, grow and add mass. "Moore is a taller corner who can make plays on the ball. He has seven interceptions in his last two seasons combined. He can locate and track the ball. He's pretty technically refined and runs well. "He strikes me as the type who will continue to get faster. Moore has the prototypical size with his height, and he can turn and run. As he adds more mass, I'd view him as a boundary corner. Notre Dame has done a pretty good job recruit - ing Texas, and he's one that can continue that recent trend." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power "Notre Dame has elite academics and elite football. I wanted to be challenged in the classroom and on the field." MOORE