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Position: DE/DT
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 265
Hometown: Hyattsville, Md
High School: Dematha Catholic HS
Year: Sophomore
Twitter: @Mike_Moore32
Shawn Moore was the starting QB for the Hoos from 1988-1990. As a senior, in 1990, he finished 4th in the Heisman voting, and led the nation in passing efficiency. In 2012, Moore was the WR coach for the Hoos, and helped to recruit his son Mike, a defensive lineman. The younger Moore was rated as a 4 star recruit by all the major recruiting services. ESPN ranked him the #35 DE in the nation, while Rivals ranked him the #11 DE and Scout ranked him the #30 DE.
While Shawn is no longer an assistant at Virginia, Mike is still around. Just a sophomore, Mike racked up 14 tackles, include 2 TFLs and 1 sack as a true freshman last year, playing as a reserve DE.
While fellow sophomore DE Eli Harold weighs just 235 pounds and has tremendous athleticism for the position, Moore checks in at 265 pounds and provides a much more physical presence on the DL. Moore is listed as the backup to Jake Snyder (another big DE) opposite Harold. Despite the extra size, Moore is still a fantastic athlete, turning in a 4.8ish 40 yard dash time.
His strength makes him a good run defender, and he can be very tough to block one-on-one. He has a tendency to get a bit high, a common trait for younger DLs. As a pass rusher, Moore can use his strength or his quickness. He still needs work on his pass rush moves as he will often just try to beat his man to the outside shoulder, a technique that worked better in HS than it will in college. As he develops his pass rush moves, he should turn into a very good pass rusher.
Moore's size makes him a candidate to move to DT, at least situationally. The Hoos are not deep at DT, having just 3 scholarship players there (not including true freshmen) and Moore's flexibility will be key there. In passing situations, Moore will likely see time there, assuming he can pick up the intricacies of coach Jon Tenuta's defensive schemes. Those schemes are heavy on stunts and zone blitzes, and can be difficult for younger players.
Moore will also see time at DE. He will back up Snyder when the latter needs a break. He may also see time opposite Snyder in certain situations, because he provides a different look from Harold and Trent Corney (Harold's primary backup). Against a power rushing team, Moore's size and bulk may be more effective than Harold's quickness and athleticism.
Snyder is a 5th year senior, meaning he will be moving on after this season. That means that, beginning next year, Moore will be the primary strong-side DE. Eli Harold and Mike Moore are a DE tandem for Wahoo fans to be excited about.