L.J. Moore is one of the top players in the country for the class of 2013. Chatsports.com had an exclusive interview with him on the night he revealed his favorite schools. Those schools that L.J. is most seriously considering are Notre Dame, Washington, Cal, UCLA, Georgia and Houston. Moore says that they are all tied as his favorite. Being one of the twenty best players in the United States at your position (cornerback) and having so many fan bases watching your every move is a level of stress non-athletes can only imagine. But Moore thrives off of that stress, saying, "I like having pressure to perform well because it pushes me to elevate my game and be the best I can be." When asked if the attention could be negative after he makes his decision, L.J. said, "I love the fans but I know if I don't pick their school they'll be upset. I can't please everybody and I have to do what is best for me."
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Moore is one of the best recruits the Irish are pursuing this cycle, and if you watch his highlight tape you can't help but be impressed. He is a tall corner at 6'2 and hits hard, using all of his 185 pounds of pure muscle. By hard, I mean watching an L.J. Moore tackle is like watching a monster truck run over something. He hits so hard that its almost comical to watch receivers drop to the ground. His game goes beyond physicality though, as L.J. shows a great knack for making plays on the ball whether that be in the form of an interception or knocking down a pass. The bottom line is Moore is an instinctive player and a force in the secondary. He has a rare form of speed and power, and whoever misses out on him will be loosing a top talent. A decision from L.J. will probably not come anytime soon as he has told Chatsports he would like to wait the process out, "as long as possible so I can make the best decision." A mature move by him, as he doesn't want to do any flip flopping with his commitments. Moore will be absolutely sure that the school he commits to is the one he wants to go to. Moore still has a lot to figure out about what things he is looking for in a school, but he says his major and early playing time will be crucial. Moore has a lot of interests, so he has not decided what major it is that he wants to study. Moore mentioned that he wants, "to play as soon as I get there if possible." He later added, "its my goal to play as a true freshman and Notre Dame's lack of corners really jumps out at me."
To find out if Notre Dame is a place he is comfortable with, Moore would like to take a visit and see if he, "fits into the Notre Dame environment." Coach Denbrock talks to Moore about once a week. Of interest to Notre Dame fans, Moore has described former student Tee Shepard as, "basically a brother to me." When Tee enrolled at Notre Dame, that made Notre Dame an early favorite. L.J. would like to take a trip to South Bend and
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see what exactly made Tee fall in love with the University, though he has no date worked out yet. Notre Dame would certainly mean early playing time for him and a great program in whatever he chooses to study, so there is plenty for Irish fans to be optimistic about. He really admires Charles Woodson and Deion Sanders. If he continues to work hard in college, kids in high school may one day list him as their favorite football player of all time. He hopes to wear number two in college but he stressed in Chatsport's exclusive interview that all he really wants is "the opportunity to come in and battle for a starting spot." Moore is the type of player Notre Dame needs, he will step in and play from day one. Cornerback can't be a position that the coaches recruit projects for, they need people to step in right away and be stars. Should Brian Kelly and the coaches land him, their cornerback woes will be solved.
L.J. still has a lot to figure out during the recruiting process, and that is fine since National Signing Day is a long ways away. The good news for him is that he is so talented, most programs would welcome him with open arms. If L.J. could address all Fighting Irish fans he would tell them, "I want you to know Notre Dame is high on my list and I thank you for your support throughout the process." He later said that he hopes Notre Dame fans would still support him and show him love should he not enroll at Notre Dame and hopes they would understand it is a difficult process. It seems like his interest in Notre Dame is sincere and should he end up in South Bend both sides would benefit tremendously. He is smart and talented enough that he will thrive no matter what college he decides to attend.
For more information on the life of L.J. Moore follow him on Twitter @LJBouncyMoore
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