Under-the-Radar Linebacker Hayden Moore Earns Offer From UCLA Football

Moore is one of the highest-rated defensive players coming out of the state of Colorado in the class of 2023.

(Photo Courtesy of Hayden Moore/Twitter)

Even with some apparent stability at linebacker, the Bruins aren't slowing down in trying to build out the position for the future.

Class of 2023 linebacker Hayden Moore picked up an offer from UCLA football on Tuesday, he announced on Twitter. Moore's recruitment has picked up steam over the past six weeks, and now the out-of-state prospect from Colorado has added a seventh Power Five offer.

Moore also has offers from Air Force, Colorado, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Nebraska, Nevada, Penn, Texas Tech, Utah State, Washington State and Wyoming.

After a great day and an awesome meeting with Coach Ken Norton Jr. and the defensive staff, I am proud to receive an offer from @UCLAFootball. Thank you!! @EthanYoungFB @CoachIrv_ @Coach_DanFields @RJHSFootball @CoachFilleman @bangulo pic.twitter.com/EBZzrYoDGK

— Hayden Moore (@HMOORE3405) April 20, 2022

Moore visited Westwood on Tuesday along with a handful of other recruits, and it ended with said offer. It was the latest in a long line of unofficial visits and gameday stops Moore started making last fall, as he has also stopped by Wyoming, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Iowa and Colorado.

247Sports and Rivals both have Moore pegged as a three-star recruit, but he is not ranked on the overall national level. Moore ranks as the No. 112 linebacker in the country and No. 10 player in Colorado, according to 247Sports.

Moore appeared in 12 games as a junior at Regis Jesuit High School (CO), emerging as an impact player on both sides of the ball. Moore racked up 111 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, nine quarterback hurries and two passes defended as a linebacker while also hauling in nine passes for 102 yards on offense.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound prospect is also a pitcher on the baseball diamond.

UCLA's linebacker outlook for 2023 and beyond is very much up in the air. Ale Kaho, Kain Medrano and Darius Muasau are set to be the Bruins' starting linebackers in 2022 and Kaho is the only one without eligibility remaining for 2023.

JonJon Vaughns, Damian Sellers and Jalen Woods make up the young reserves who can all return for 2023 and 2024 as well, making the linebacking corps one of the deepest units on the team that actually has future stability.

That hasn't stopped new inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. from making an effort out on the recruiting trail, though. Four-star lineback Tre Edwards and Siale Esera are sitting on offers from the Bruins, as is San Francisco prospect Jerry Mixon.

Where exactly the Bruins stand with each of the four linebackers they've offered remains to be seen, but with the early signing period less than eight months away, their recruitments are going to be coming to a head soon enough.

UCLA finally got a class of 2023 commit Sunday in the form of wide receiver Grant Gray, and now they have outstanding offers to 40 other uncommitted recruits. Moore has now joined that list, as the Bruins look to further build out depth in their second level moving forward.

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