Florida trending for 4-star WR TJ Moore

In late April Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Catholic four-star wide receiver TJ Moore told Gator Online’s Keith Niebuhr that his recruitment seemed to be a two-horse pick between Florida and Clemson. That race seems to have gone in one direction since that conversation.

Following an expert prediction from Niebuhr Thursday afternoon, the Gators jumped well ahead of any other school to land Moore’s commitment according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

The Gators sit with an 81.5% chance to land a commitment from the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder. Niebuhr put in his pick with confidence level of 55%.

Florida extended Moore an offer earlier this year and he made his first trip to Gainesville on April 7.

“It really exceeded my expectations. It was way nicer than what I thought it was going to be,” Moore told On3. “The coaching staff is great. Coach Billy Napier, an amazing dude. I got to watch them scrimmage and enjoyed watching that and them passing the ball a lot.

“Also, I really enjoyed when meeting with the wide receivers coach. He showed certain releases, plays, and showed how they translate to the game. I really enjoyed that.”

TJ Moore is the No. 147 overall prospect and No. 28 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 25 player in Florida.

On3 rates Moore higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, Moore is the No. 138 overall prospect in the country, the No. 23 wide receiver and the No. 20 player in Florida.

Playing with DJ Lagway appeals to Moore

As much as he enjoyed visiting the coaches and current group of players that Florida has, it’s a future Gator that really appeals to Moore.

Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway committed to the Gators in December and is the highest-ranked commitment in their 2024 class. Seeing what Lagway’s done in Texas caught Moore’s attention the first time he watched his film.

“I’ve seen him play and I know that him throwing me the ball, that’s plenty of touchdowns,” Moore told On3. “He is legit. The way he can throw the ball. And how he can run. In case everybody gets bottled up, he can take off.”

While the two have never met in-person, they have communicated over text and Lagway’s been active in trying to recruit Moore to Gainesville.

“We text each other every once in a while. Like every couple of weeks,” Moore said. “He’s just telling me, ‘Come home. Come home. We’ll get you right. We’ll treat you well’.”