Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 31, 2016 45 PREP PROFILES Even before he received a Notre D a m e o ff e r, f o u r- s t a r Yo a k u m (Texas) High wide receiver Joshua Moore had the Irish on his list. But when he finally did receive an offer Oct. 6, Rivals' No. 30 wide receiver in the class of 2018 said they made a huge jump. "It's amazing," the 6-3, 173-pound pass catcher said. "It's a real good offer for me. We'd been in contact for at least three months now, and they finally pulled the trigger. "It's an offer I had been waiting on a long, long time. I've done research on them, and I think I can come in and have an early impact at Notre Dame." Moore said when he got off the phone with Irish defensive backs coach Todd Lyght with an offer on the table, he let out a sigh of relief. "I was like, 'Finally. I finally have the one I've been waiting for,'" Moore said. "Coach Lyght was happy to give me the news. They watched my film three or four times as an entire staff, and Coach [Brian] Kelly said, 'We have to offer this kid.'" Moore said the Irish coaching staff has been heavily involved in his re- cruitment for some time. "We talk on a daily basis," Moore said. "It's crazy how much we talk. They were the first school to text me on Sept. 1. Coach Lyght and Coach [Mike] Sanford both texted me, and ever since then the relationship has grown tremendously." Moore is listed as the No. 155 over- all player in the class of 2018, and he now holds more than 25 offers. Notre Dame was a little late with its offer, but he said that doesn't bother him one bit. "The offer doesn't change any- thing, except for the fact that they've made a big jump from where they were before," Moore said. "I've had a good relationship with the staff for months now, and we've grown and gotten closer and closer. "As of now, I don't have a list out, but Notre Dame is very high," he added. "Tennessee is my leader right now, but things could change later on. Notre Dame is definitely in the running." — David McKinney Derick Hunter Jr. could hardly hold in his excitement when he was offered by Notre Dame Oct. 5. The sophomore defensive end from Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar said once he was alone, he let his happiness show. "It was shocking," Hunter said. "It was out of the blue. Out of all the schools that I've been in con- tact with, it was really shocking. It made me happy. I didn't want to smile in front of my coach, but when I hit the hallway I was jump- ing up and down." Landing an offer from the Irish was important to the rising defen- sive end. "It's big," Hunter Jr. said. "All the hard work that I keep doing, it keeps paying off." Although he is young, Hunter Jr. already checks in at 6-5 and 225 pounds, and holds offers from Flor- ida and South Florida. " I t w a s s u r p r i s i n g a t f i r s t , " Hunter Jr. said about receiving of- fers. "My coach told me to just keep working, and everything will keep coming. When I got the offer from Florida, that's when I realized that this was actually real and I need to take it serious. "I've just got to keep counting my blessings and taking things day by day." With two and a half seasons of high school football to go, Hunter Jr. has already garnered some national attention (Baylor, Clemson, Geor- gia, Miami, Ohio State and West Virginia have also shown interest), but he said he's focused on getting better both on the field and in the classroom over the next few years. "I want to bring my GPA up higher so I can be able to pick what- ever college I want to go to," he said. "On the field, I just want to make as many plays as I possibly can and wait for my turn. I know my time is coming, so I just have to sit back and be patient. "My main goal is to be a top re- cruit in the nation. That's what I really see in my eyes. "When I was coming into high school, I said I was going to be D-I regardless, before any of this was happening." — David McKinney Four-Star Texas Pass Catcher Is Thrilled By Irish Offer Notre Dame Gets In Early On Florida Defensive End JOSHUA MOORE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Yoakum H.S. Yoakum, Texas Status: Offered Class: 2018 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 173 Rivals Rankings: No. 30 wide receiver and No. 155 overall player in the nation DERICK HUNTER JR. No star rating yet Dunbar H.S. Fort Myers, Fla. Status: Offered Class: 2019 Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 222 Rivals Rankings: Not cur- rently ranked "IT'S AN OFFER I HAD BEEN WAITING ON A LONG, LONG TIME. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THEM, AND I THINK I CAN COME IN AND HAVE AN EARLY IMPACT AT NOTRE DAME." MOORE "MY MAIN GOAL IS TO BE A TOP RECRUIT IN THE NATION." HUNTER JR.