DeAndre Moore Jr. made his fair share of plays in the SEC before taking his talents to the transfer portal last winter.
As one of four new receivers on Colorado’s roster, he’ll be competing for the ball in a deep room that features the nation’s leading receiver, Danny Scudero. Leaving Texas, Moore had plenty of destinations he could have gone in the offseason.
However, he came to Boulder. For a purpose–to reunite with Brennan Marion.
“Me coming to Colorado was pretty much a no-brainer,” Moore told BuffStampede.com. “Once I knew he was here, I knew I was coming here.”
The Buffaloes' newest offensive coordinator had actually recruited Moore to Texas when he was just 16-years-old. Although Marion left before he could ever coach Moore, the two remained close. He even refers to Marion as “Uncle B,” a testament to their relationship.
“I love that man. The way that he believes in his players, the way that he coaches you to be the best you every single day,” Moore said. “He doesn't sugarcoat anything. He's going to tell you the truth. So, I can definitely respect that.”
Over the course of three seasons as a Longhorn, he notched 77 receptions for 988 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both the Buffs and Moore looked forward to seeing him in the Go-Go offense this spring; however, fate had a different plan.
Moore suffered an injury and wasn’t able to play in the spring game. Unable to get physical reps, he focused on the mental side of learning the playbook. After recovering during the summer, Moore has been back in action during the first two weeks of practice.
“Right now it's just about getting my feet under me, getting those reps back, being more comfortable on my foot, learning how to play with my teammates and for my teammates,” Moore said. “It's definitely been a great fall camp and just allowing me to get back to doing what I love to do.”
A healthy Moore will be a good thing for 18-year old quarterback Julian Lewis. His experience of playing with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning have matured his leadership and approach to the game. He is able to be a veteran presence for Lewis, but also a weapon for him.
At 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, he has elite speed and route running ability that will be highlighted in the offense.
“I just got to get open. That's really it,” Moore said. “[Brennan Marion] has so many routes, so many different combinations that allow receivers to just be free. So I can just go out there being free, know my alignment, know my assignment, know the details and go run free.”
Getting back on the gridiron has allowed him to gain the trust and chemistry needed with Lewis. As Moore gears of for a successful season, he is doing it with players he cares for off the field.
“I think it's a really great collection of people. I'm excited to go be around my teammates,” Moore said. “Sko Buffs!”
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