Jason Moore Is The Key Notre Dame Landing A Gap Closing Defensive Line Class
At times in recent seasons the Notre Dame defensive line has been one of the nation's best, something we saw in 2018 for sure. In the three seasons since the Irish line has been good, but if Notre Dame wants to take the next step as a defense - and as a team - even more is needed from the front.
Notre Dame's 2022 defensive line has a chance to be the group that takes that step, but following the season the Irish are going to lose two stars when Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola leave for the NFL. There's also a good chance that Justin Ademilola follows them to the league instead of returning for a sixth season.
Outside of the 2016 class, most of Notre Dame's defensive line recruiting has been one really good player with a number of quality, but not elite, prospects. The 2022 class was a step in the right direction when Notre Dame landed a pair of potential standouts in Tyson Ford and Aiden Gobaira, but the staff came up short with inside players.
Notre Dame desperately needs to follow up with a class that is even better, and deeper. It needs to follow up with a class that not only adds elite edge talent - a must in today's college football - but also more big men.
Inconsistency recruiting the position has created a bit of a gap in some areas along the defensive line. Notre Dame's 2023 defensive line class must be elite, it must be the kind of group that closes the gap for Notre Dame when looking at programs like Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.
Notre Dame is off to a great start thanks to commitments from five-star edge Keon Keeley and talented big man Brenan Vernon. To close the gap Notre Dame needs at least one more elite big man in the class, and that player is Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha standout Jason Moore.
Moore is a must-get for the Fighting Irish staff in the 2023 class for a number of reasons.
IMPACT TALENT
Moore is an extremely big and talented prospect that would add big-time talent to the Notre Dame defensive line. He's the kind of impact prospect that Notre Dame must add to the class. This is the kind of pickup that would allow Notre Dame to not only compete with the big boys, but to finish with the nation's best defensive line class.
The 6-6, 265-pound big man might project as an interior player, but I'm not ready to dismiss that he can't be just as good as a Big End in the Notre Dame defense. Moore is a thin 265, which means he could easily add 20+ pounds and either maintain or add to his already impressive athletic profile.
Just go watch his performance against Good Counsel and you'll see what I'm talking about. Moore showed off a strong burst and impressive lateral quickness in that game, and he dominated as a run defender, pass rusher and he was disruptive when he could get to the ball as well.
As an interior player he projects as a quick, penetrating and disruptive defender that should be a matchup nightmare for guards and centers. Some might worry about him being too long to play inside, but as Notre Dame fans saw with Jerry Tillery, who was 6-7, as long as the long player can keep his pad level he can thrive inside. Moore shows that on film.
With all due respect to Tillery, who was a four-year starter and an All-American in his final season at Notre Dame, Moore shows far more defensive talent at the same age. The reason I bring up Tillery is not to say Moore is the "next Tillery," as I don't really like those kinds of recruiting angles. It's worth bringing up because their games have some similarities due to the athleticism and pass rushing potential that Moore brings to the game in a very tall, long package.
I could also see Moore being a forceful run defender and quality pass rusher on the edge. His first step, length, ability to disengage and close on the quarterback is impressive for such a massive athlete. As an edge player you'd start seeing similarities to what Stephon Tuitt brought to the Notre Dame defense back in 2012 and 2013 as a 6-6 and almost 300 pound end.
COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS
Depending on how Notre Dame fills out the class, and depending on how much Vernon continues to develop physically, I could see a scenario where Moore stays on the edge and it is Vernon that moves inside. I could just as easily see Vernon staying outside and Moore filling out and moving inside.
That's part of what makes the DeMatha standout a must-get for Notre Dame. Moore is not only versatile, he is a great complement to the defensive linemen Notre Dame already has in the 2022 and 2023 class.
Moore and Ford have very similar projection, as does Vernon. That trio gives Notre Dame a much-needed influx of very long, athletic big men that would absolutely be a gap closing group of defenders. I expect all to be at least 275 pounds when it's all said and done, and all three getting over 280 pounds wouldn't surprise me at all.
Throw in the long, twitchy and dynamic edge rushers (Keeley, Gobaira) and Notre Dame could go from being a very good defensive line group to an elite group of prospects. It would then be up to Al Washington to coach them up and get them ready to turn their potential in elite production.
The reality is in today's game you can't just have a great starting lineup. As Notre Dame's 2018 unit showed, the elite lines throw waves of outstanding players at teams, and landing Moore to go with Keeley, Vernon, Ford and Gobaira (along with Donovan Hinish) gets the Irish down that path and on the verge of being that type of team in the future.
Notre Dame would also add much needed length to the roster. The Irish have put some long guys on the edge in recent seasons (Khalid Kareem, Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Julian Okwara) but their "big guys" have been on the shorter side outside of Tillery. The group discussed below would be filled with defenders that are all at least 6-4, if not 6-5.
Notre Dame would still need at least one more defensive lineman in the 2023 class even if it landed Moore, and I'd argue for a fifth, but landing Moore isn't just about meeting depth or numbers needs. Landing Moore is about adding an elite player to your line.
GET BACK INTO THE DC/MD CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Notre Dame absolutely must start having more success in the DC/Maryland area, especially the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference that includes programs like Gonzaga, Good Counsel, St. John's and Bishop McNamara.
Notre Dame has landed some good players from that league (Sam Mustipher, Cam Hart), but there have far too many players from that league that spurned the Irish. Getting back to having consistent success in that league is a must for Notre Dame.
Getting a prospect like Moore would be impactful in the ways I discussed above, but it could also serve as a statement victory for Notre Dame that impacts other prospects from that league in future seasons.
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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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