Florida coach Will Muschamp got a huge boost to his offensive
line Thursday when former Nebraska tackle Tyler Moore decided to
transfer to UF.
Moore was a Rivals100 member in the class of 2011 and the top lineman prospect in the state out of Countryside Clearwater.
The
6-foot-6, 305-pounder played nine games last season for the Cornhuskers
and started four at right tackle, becoming only the 10th lineman in
school history to start as a true freshman.
Moore
was slated to start at left tackle for Nebraska in 2012, but he left
the school in early August and decided not to return.
“He
was never happy there,” said Tyler's father, Brian Moore, who played
tight end at Nebraska and graduated in 1985. “We went there because that
was his dream school growing up as a kid. But there were things that
maybe we didn't scrutinize enough in the recruiting process and he
struggled for three semesters and then finally realized it would be
better off going some place closer to home.”
Moore chose Florida over Florida State after unofficially visiting both schools this month.
“We
went to the Bowling Green game and were blown away,” the elder Moore
said. “The coaching staff there was phenomenal. They were above and
beyond everything that we expected. Just the energy level, the attention
level, the helpfulness that they offered, answered questions before we
even asked them. They are just a great group and I can't say enough good
stuff about them.”
Moore said his son was also impressed by the direction of the offense under new coordinator Brent Pease.
“They're definitely in a
transition with coach Pease,” he said, “but it looks like they're
improving every week, which is nice to see. They're still very young and
they've recruited extremely well. So I think Florida is going to
continue to get better and it will be very exciting to be a part of that
for Tyler.”
Like
Florida's previous offensive lineman transfer, Max Garcia from Maryland,
Moore can play either tackle or guard. Wherever he ends up, Moore's
father said the Gators are getting proven talent.
“They
definitely want him to play tackle,” he said. “Which side will depend
on how things go once he gets there. And if it doesn't work out, then
he'll play where they need him.
“One
thing that the coaches do like about him is a lot of the question marks
you get normally in recruiting are answered because he's already got
Division-1 experience. They don't have to worry that this is some high
school kid who won't pan out.”
Moore
is redshirting this year and will be eligible to play next season as a
sophomore. His father said he will likely enroll in January after
earning his AA degree from St. Petersburg College this fall.
UF
now has 20 members in its 2013 class. Verbal commitments are not
binding until prospects sign their national letters of intent.
