The Gators got a very B1G gift in the fall: Nebraska transfer Tyler Moore.
Moore is the second Florida transfer that is expected to contribute and improve the Gators offensive line in 2013 along with Maryland transfer Max Garcia.
Moore’s path to Florida is a unique one. Moore originally committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers out of high school and was a quadruple legacy after his father, great uncle and cousin donned the red and white. In high school, Moore was an Army All-American and carried that to Nebraska, where he was the first true freshman to start on the Cornhuskers offensive line in school history and started four games at right tackle during his first season. Moore even earned a spot on the distinguished “Freshman All-Big Ten team” by ESPN.
However, Moore decided to transfer from Nebraska after his first year, citing personal reasons. Moore spent the fall at St. Petersburg College and enrolled at UF in January, after picking the Gators over Florida State.
Unlike most prospects that I do a video analysis about, there is more than just grainy highlight videos. We have actual college game footage that shows the good and the bad in beautiful high definition.
What does Tyler Moore look on film? Does he have noticeable deficiencies? Will he start for the Gators?
Obviously, starting as a freshman at a school like Nebraska is a huge deal. In just four starts and nine total games for the Cornhuskers, you see a player with good strength, solid hand placement and decent balance. He has very solid footwork and moves well for a 6-foot-5, 305-pound player. And most importantly, there is a big difference between his high school tape, where he simply mauled defenders with no real technique, and his college tape, where you see a noticeable difference in picking up blocking schemes, gaining leverage and plays in a great stance rather than upright. It is also noticeable that Moore has good speed, which will allow him to quickly execute pulls and traps in Brent Pease’s offense. Finally, Moore has a great motor. He works hard each play and finishes each play, something that wasn’t as evident in high school.
There are just a few areas that are a bit concerning about Moore. He still plays a bit stiff at times and can be slow getting out of his stance. However, there is an improvement and with more coaching that should improve. Moore can also improve his pad level, again something that improved over high school, but still has me raising my eyebrows.
Moore, a redshirt sophomore, has the opportunity to start for the Gators, as there is an open left tackle position with the departure of Xavier Nixon. However, sophomore D.J. Humphries seems to be the one groomed to take over for Nixon’s departure. On the opposite side, Moore would challenge starting right tackle Chaz Green, who has been good, but not great in the role. No matter who wins the competition, expect there to be a solid rotation of either Humphries and Moore or Green and Moore in the fall. I do think with a solid spring and summer of coaching, coupled with what I saw out of his experience at Nebraska, that Moore would be an upgrade at the right tackle position.