The Sooners have lost numerous commitments since Sunday afternoon, when Lincoln Riley flipped Oklahoma’s world upside down by bolting for USC. But there’s been good news, too. Many commits have made it known they are still locked in with the Sooners.
Deandre Moore is one of those players. In a post on social media, he made it known he was still committed to the Oklahoma Sooners and DeMarco Murray. Over the last couple of days, what’s come to light is how deep that commitment is for Moore.
There are a variety of reasons a player commits to a university. Some do so for the coach, as we’ve seen with Malachi Nelson and Raleek Brown. Others do it for position coaches. Some are committed to the University of Oklahoma. Moore is the latter two.
When DeAndre Moore reaffirmed his commitment, he included running backs coach DeMarco Murray as a big reason. However, a recent interview with Greg Biggins offered even more insight that will make him a fan favorite with Sooners Nation for years to come.
I’ve been wanting to go to Oklahoma since the 7th grade. I don’t know how many people know that but it has always been my dream school and it was never about the coaching staff for me. I liked coach Riley, don’t get me wrong. I was looking forward to playing for him but that was more the cherry on top for me. I was going to Oklahoma because I love the school, and that’s still the case for me. – Moore via 247Sports
Moore followed that by reiterating how his strong relationship with DeMarco Murray further confirms Norman is where he’s supposed to be.
“I’ve known him since my freshman year, he’s a great person and a great coach, and I hope the next head coach decides to keep him,” Moore said. “I talked to him the day Riley left for USC, just to let him know I was still a Sooner and wasn’t going anywhere. There’s nothing like having a coach that comes from where you come from and has experienced everything you want to achieve in life, and that’s what I have with DeMarco.”
Murray’s Nevada stardom has paid massive dividends for him on the West Coast as a recruiter. His rise from Nevada high school star to NFL running back to coach has resonated with many of the region’s recruits hoping to achieve similar goals.
The Los Alamitos high school junior is locked in. He’s no longer worrying about recruiting but is instead choosing to focus on nursing some injuries he played his junior season with and making sure he’s ready for basketball season. “I’m only focusing on school, and my health and I’m not going to be visiting anywhere else right now,” Moore told Wiltfong.
Moore is a pure athlete who can play offense or defense for multiple Power Five teams. He had numerous P5 offers to play defense. When Riley was around, the plan was for Moore to play wide receiver. Given the de-commitments of wide receiver Brandon Inniss and Makai Lemon, opportunities abound for Moore with the Oklahoma Sooners.
While they still have no head coach, the Sooners have very talented individuals who didn’t back out despite the uncertainty around the program. Moore represents a major piece of their 2023 class, which is in rebuild mode.
Holding onto DeAndre Moore is a significant win for whoever steps in to lead the Sooners into the future. It’s also a very poignant reminder that Oklahoma is just too hard to pass up regardless of the coach. The Sooners will recover from the lost commitments, because as Bob Stoops put it, “This is still Oklahoma.”
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