Riley Moss has seen his name in the news a lot this offseason, for all of the right reasons.
One of the top cornerbacks in the nation last year, Moss delayed his NFL journey another season, returning to lead the Hawkeyes defense. This was despite having a good amount of NFL hype and accepting his Senior Bowl invite.
In 2021, Moss earned first-team All-America honors from Sporting News, second-team All-America status from the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele and third-team All-America recognition by the Associated Press.
The 6-foot-1, 193 pound corner from Ankeny, Iowa, was also the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. He garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and media, the AP, and Phil Steele. Moss also finished as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe award.
It makes a ton of sense then that Moss enters his final season with a ton of preseason buzz. From multiple first-team All-American predictions to appearances on the Nagurski and Jim Thorpe watch lists, many are predicting Moss to once again be one of the top defensive backs in the nation.
Pro Football Focus is the latest to bestow high praise on the senior corner. In Anthony Treash’s preseason top 25 cornerback rankings, Moss came in as the second-highest ranked Big Ten cornerback. That was right behind Michigan’s DJ Turner. He also ranked as the No. 8 corner nationally.
For anyone following PFF’s coverage of Moss, this high ranking should not come as any surprise. Moss was PFF’s highest-graded cornerback in the Big Ten last year with a grade of 80.1. He also was the only cornerback who graded above a 75 in zone coverage in each of the past two seasons.
Look for Moss to turn in his best season as the heart and soul of the Iowa secondary.
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