Few Duke football players this century left as big of an impact on the program as wide receiver [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag].
Initially a quarterback prospect, Moore switched positions ahead of the 2022 season and caught 177 passes for 2,352 yards and 21 touchdowns in just three years. After the Blue Devils won five total games in 2020-21, Duke finished with a 26-13 record over that span.
Moore reeled in five passes for 63 yards and a score in Thursday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl loss to Ole Miss, and after the game, he talked about how he wants his time with the Blue Devils to be remembered. Unsurprisingly, it mostly revolved around his off-field presence.
“I’d like my legacy to be known as somebody who was a competitor,” Moore said after the game. “But also a teammate who you can lean on, talk to, joke around with, and be there for. Because at the end of the day, the cleats are going to hang up at some time. But the memories and the lasting impact you can make on other people, that’s what really matters.”
Moore and the other Class of 2021 commitments spent their four years in Durham with three different head coaches. David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils parted after 14 years just one season into Moore’s collegiate career, and Mike Elko left to lead the Texas A&M Aggies after the 2023 season. Through it all, Moore and his classmates persisted, and the Blue Devils won at least eight games in three straight campaigns.
“My parents always taught me when I was going through the recruiting process, don’t choose a school for the coaches, but choose it for a place that you love and a place you want to be,” Moore said. “And that’s what I chose, and that had a funny way of rewarding me with some great coaches.”
In his final regular-season game, Moore caught a 39-yard touchdown on the final play to clinch a 14-point comeback against Wake Forest. After the game, he wrote on social media that choosing the Blue Devils was the best decision he’d ever made.
“I’m blessed to be at Duke,” Moore said simply on Thursday.