Louisiana QB Reese Mooney commits to SEC program

It has not been the best of times for Denham Springs, La. quarterback Reese Mooney. In the first half of the season, the junior broke his ankle and has missed all but three games.

The fall did not go the way he had hoped on the field, but while dealing with the injury, the no. 23 quarterback in the On3 Consensus was able to dive deep into his recruitment.

Mooney took visits, he continued to speak with coaches, and he made a decision that he wanted to play in the SEC.

“I have committed to Vanderbilt,” Mooney said. “Vanderbilt is in a great city and it is an amazing school. The vibe is so positive at Vanderbilt.

“The education is amazing and the facilities they are building are going to be unreal. The staff is full of amazing men that I get to call coach too.

“The coaches know they have work to do to get things going right at Vandy and they are doing it.”

Mooney visited Vanderbilt a couple of times over the summer before returning to Nashville to see the Commodores in action against Mississippi State late in October.

He knew when he left that he wanted to call Vanderbilt home.

“I visited twice in the summer and I felt it deep down then. Then I went to a game this year and it just hit me. This is the place. I wanna be a part of the change at Vanderbilt.

“There is no reason the football team can’t be great. It’s time to help change that. I kind of felt it was Vanderbilt the first time I visited.”

Numerous coaches were involved. From Joey Lynch to Norval Mckenzie to Jonathan DiBiaso to Barton Simmons. Vanderbilt made Mooney feel wanted and it paid off.

“These coaches [at Vanderbilt] are amazing. They never stopped or slowed down recruiting me when I hurt my leg and they made me feel like a priority.

“We just all clicked. That means a lot. I’m going to pour my heart and soul into it for them also.”

Mooney picked Vanderbilt over Georgia Tech, Miami, and West Virginia.