Brandon Moore, #87

Brandon Moore

HIGH SCHOOL
Moore attended Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison and committed as a classmate of Roy Roundtree and Michael Shaw, but Moore committed in May 2007, several months before Lloyd Carr retired; the other two chose Michigan at the last minute in February.  Moore was the #8 tight end and #187 overall player to Rivals, but he was a 3-star and the #43 tight end to Scout.  He chose Michigan over offers from Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and LSU, among others.  He had 20 receptions for 350 yards and 5 touchdowns as a junior, then added 518 yards and 4 touchdowns as a senior.

COLLEGE
Moore redshirted as a freshman in 2008.  During his redshirt freshman season in 2009, he played sparingly as a backup, gathering in 1 reception for 19 yards against Delaware State.  Still buried behind Kevin Koger and Martell Webb in 2010, Moore played in just two games.  With a dearth of tight ends on the roster in 2011, Moore played mostly as a blocker and special teamer, catching 1 pass for 9 yards against Purdue.  Most people presumed he would be the starter in 2012, and he indeed earned the job in the off-season, gaining the nod against Alabama in the season opener; unfortunately for him, he injured his knee and missed several weeks, giving way to walk-on Mike Kwiatkowski and freshman A.J. Williams.  He did not catch a pass during his senior year.

CAREER STATISTICS
2 receptions, 28 yards

AWARDS
#87 Legends jersey in honor of Ron Kramer

SUMMARY
Moore's high school highlights seem to have disappeared from the internet, but he was a guy that Trotwood-Madison split out wide to use him for his athleticism.  The transition from that to being an interior blocker never seemed to work for Moore.  His speed diminished as he added weight, and he was no longer a mismatch; therefore, he was an H-back in a Y-receiver's body.  I remember watching spring practice video from 2011 and being somewhat dismayed at the poor footwork of Moore, who was entering his redshirt junior year at the time.  It's somewhat difficult to put a finger on why someone like Moore wouldn't pan out in college - a kid with a reported 4.2 high school grade point average, who majors in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science, who was an athletic, big receiver as a high schooler - but that's the way recruiting goes.  Some guys just don't have "it" when it comes to competing against other high-level FBS athletes.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his 19-yard reception against Delaware State.  For some reason, that image has always stuck in my mind, probably because it was the biggest play of Moore's career.

PROJECTION
Moore is a 6'5", 268 lb. tight end who produced very little as a collegiate athlete.  He lacks the athleticism and pedigree to make an impact at the next level.  I would even be mildly surprised if he gets signed as an undrafted free agent, and his football career is probably finished.