Dakorien Moore sets Thursday commitment; Nation's No. 1 wide receiver ready to make decision
Duncanville (Texas) five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore is among the nation's most celebrated prospects.
The 5-foot-11, 186-pound playmaker is rated a top-five recruit nationally by every recruiting service and is the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the country.
On Thursday evening, Moore is set to announce his college commitment from a list of four finalists: LSU, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas.
Heading into the decision, Texas is considered the favorite, but all four finalists are hoping for some good news.
That may be especially the case for Oregon, who has hosted Moore multiple times and has been trending in the right direction for several five-star prospects who, at one time, seemed to be leaning in another direction.
The Ducks are on a hot streak and pulled off a surprise against - who else? - but Texas last week by landing Folsom (California) four-star defensive lineman Josiah Sharma.
Are the Longhorns set for some payback, or will the Ducks - or another contender - pull off a surprise?
247Sports has three predictions in for Texas, while On3 gives the Longhorns a 90.6 percent chance of keeping Moore in state.
In a recent article for On3, the Duncanville star gave his thoughts on the in-state program.
"It’s always going to be home," he said. "It’s close to family, so that’s one major thing it could come down to when I’m thinking about Texas. Obviously they got great NIL, everybody knows that. But I’m looking forward to seeing something else besides that and seeing what they’ve got to show me. They’ve developed players since they pulled them in, and even players that haven’t been so big out of high school."
Whoever lands Moore will be getting one of the nation's biggest prizes.
As a junior, the blazing-fast wide receiver hauled in 71 receptions for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging more than 21 yards per catch.
Here's what 247Sports had to say about Moore as a prospect:
"One of the nation's top offensive weapons following immensely productive junior season and a second consecutive Texas 6A D-I state championship. In the 5-11, 180-185 range but possesses musculature that presents a more stout receiver than listed size on paper may suggest. Owns good length and large hands to further enhance catch radius and playmaking ability. ...Regularly capable of sudden explosion from a dead stop in RAC situations. Displays speed-changing nuance without punitive down-shifting as a decelerator/accelerator. Same concept applies to route-running and athleticism to create late separation. Legitimate sprinter with track and field accolades, but also flashes dangerous open-field elusiveness. Gets on top of corners in a flash and shows excellent downfield ball-tracking concentration. Spatially aware of defender, boundaries, etc., and displays good body control when required. Plays bigger than listed in the red zone thanks to timing, ball skills, and adjustment acumen. ...Member of nationally-known Duncanville sprint relay. Route tree expanded as a junior, thanks in part to meteoric development of QB classmate Keelon Russell. Track speed also showed in pads more consistently and obviously."
ANDREW NEMEC