Versatile 4-star WR Joshua Moore signs with Texas over Oregon

Upwards of 50 programs around the nation sought the services of elite Yoakum wide receiver Joshua Moore.

On Sunday, Tom Herman’s program proved to be the last one standing, as Moore announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns over the Oregon Ducks.

On Wednesday, Moore officially became a Longhorn.

A four-star prospect, Moore’s recruitment endured its share of twists and turns as it pertained to Texas. Once a primary target during the Charlie Strong era, Moore made several visits to Austin, but upon the arrival of Tom Herman, the Longhorns placed their emphasis on targets such as Brennan Eagles and Al’vonte Woodard, among others.

Of course, Eagles and Woodard ultimately sided with the ‘Horns, and meanwhile, Nebraska was among the programs that zeroed in on Moore, earning his commitment last June. On Nov. 30, though, the Huskers fired head coach Mike Riley following a 4-8 campaign, prompting Moore’s decommitment soon thereafter.

Once Moore was back on the recruiting market a second time around, Texas capitalized.

As part of a heavy push headlined by Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Bryan Carrington, the Longhorns went visited Moore on numerous occasions and hosted him for an official visit over the Jan. 20 weekend.

As a result of such an overwhelming push, Texas struck skill position gold and added its third receiver take this cycle with Moore pledging to the school his mother graduated from, creating a house divided, as Moore’s brother, Jordan, is signed to Texas A&M.

In doing so, the Longhorns added a multi-sport athlete who can play both sides of the ball, as he did throughout his career at Yoakum. Along with becoming a standout defensive back prospect, Moore hauled in 78 receptions for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns, rushed for another 982 yards and 10 touchdowns, and even saw brief stints at quarterback, totaling 338 yards and four touchdowns.

A Nike The Opening finalist and Under Armor All-American, Texas recruited Moore as a receiver, but it’s quite possible that he appears all over the field while in Austin.

247Sports provided an in-depth evaluation on Moore and his expansive skill set.

“Joshua Moore is a versatile receiver prospect who excels at the “small-school” level of Texas high school football as a receiver, quarterback, defensive back, and special teams standout. Moore possesses a good frame for the receiver position with the requisite height to gain good bulk as he matures. He shows impressive burst with the ball in his hands, whether in the screen game or as a wildcat quarterback. Moore is a field-stretching vertical threat when lined up wide. He also flashes the ability to win balls over smaller defenders. He’ll need to add weight and strength to compete against larger defensive backs in college, both as a pass-catcher and as a perimeter blocker, but the tools are there for Moore to be an impact receiver at the Power Five conference level.”

Moore is an excellent athlete — he’s posted a 3.96 shuttle and 41.5-inch vertical leap and was also a standout track athlete at Yoakum.

With Moore on board, Herman’s first full recruiting cycle in Austin has seen Texas earn commitments and signatures from seven of the top 10 prospects in the state and 10 of the top 13, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Furthermore, Texas has now landed 17 of the nation’s top 300 prospects, with four-star Frisco Wakeland offensive tackle Rafiti Ghirmai just outside at No. 302.

Ranked as the nation’s No. 96 prospect, No. 19 wide receiver and the No. 10 player in Texas, per the 247Sports Compsosite, Moore bolsters the Longhorns No. 3-ranked recruiting class as yet another potential year-one contributor.