Tuesday, July 20, 2021

2021 Season Countdown: #52 R.J. Moten

 

R.J. Moten (image via 247 Sports)

Name: R.J. Moten
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 213 lbs.
High school: Delran (NJ) Delran
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #6
Last year: I ranked Moten #88 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 68

Moten was a do-everything player in high school who was recruited, like many others, to play the ballyhooed Viper position. I thought he was pretty raw, especially on defense, in high school, so I expected him to redshirt last year. He essentially did, playing in one game on special teams.

But then the off-season came, and the Viper position disappeared. Of all the freshman and redshirt freshman safeties in the class, the most buzz was coming out about Moten. I have heard more talk about Moten than the guy who actually saw the field a bunch in 2020, Makari Paige. It's always tough to gauge practice rumors, and I don't really trust them a ton here, other than to think Moten could be in line to be the fourth safety, behind Daxton Hill, Brad Hawkins, and Paige. There are still other guys to wonder about - Jordan Morant, Sammy Faustin, German Green, Quinten Johnson, etc. - and frankly there are too many on the roster to expect them all to stay too much longer. But Moten has a shot to start earning some playing time this season and stake his claim for a starting position when Hawkins and perhaps Hill are gone in 2022.

Prediction: Backup safety, special teamer

3 comments:

  1. With Warriner out and Moore in who knows how it will shake out at center. Assume that Hayes, Steuber, and Zinter will be in there somewhere on the OL. Room for others to step in, really anywhere on the OL.

    Do kind of assume Vastardis didn't come back to sit the bench...

    -LANK

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  2. Is all the buzz about him just about safety, or because of his size is he being trief as a EDGE player also?

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    Replies
    1. I have not heard of him being talked about as an edge player. I think he's too small to play there.

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