2024 CB Leonard Moore commits to Notre Dame football
Round Rock (Texas) High class of 2024 cornerback Leonard Moore has announced his commitment to Notre Dame, fresh off of last weekend’s visit to South Bend.
Moore picked the Irish over offers from the likes of Oregon, Colorado, Duke, Kansas State, Missouri and Vanderbilt. He becomes Notre Dame’s eighth commit of the cycle thus far and second defensive back pledge, joining Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller cornerback Karson Hobbs.
“I’ve visited a lot of schools, and I had Penn State and Ohio State [visits] scheduled in March. But once I got to [visit] Notre Dame, I realized that it had everything I needed,” Moore said in announcing his commitment on the 247 Sports YouTube page. “I was looking for a school that had good academics and good football. I also wanted to get out of the state [of Texas].”
The Fighting Irish staff offered Moore Jan. 18, and he quickly set up a trip to check out Notre Dame for Jan. 29. The visit couldn’t have gone much better.
“Notre Dame has elite academics and elite football,” Moore said. “I wanted to be challenged in the classroom and on the field. They play good teams every year, and they have some of the best coaching in the country.”
Moore ranks as the nation’s No. 394 overall player and No. 41 cornerback according to the 2024 On3 Consensus. He has a recruit “score” of 88.67 and is the No. 71 player from the Lone Star State.
On3’s own rankings view him a tad higher than the industry standard, listing him as the No. 38 cornerback in the land, plus the No. 60 recruit from Texas.
“His overall football IQ and intelligence will be a great asset to Notre Dame’s defense,” Moore’s private trainer, Bernard Blake of BAM Performance, told Blue & Gold. “He can match whatever you need matched. That overall culture fits Leonard as a person.”
During his junior season, Moore posted 31 tackles, 3 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 4 pass break ups and 2 forced fumbles. Moore reports that in 232 coverage snaps this past fall, he was targeted just 18 times and allowed 3 receptions. He also returned one punt return for a score.
Moore was a unanimous selection for the 2022 Texas District 25-6A first-team defense.
As a sophomore in 2021, Moore had 40 tackles, 1.0 for loss, 4 interceptions and 11 pass break ups. He was named the 2021 Texas District 25-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
Moore, who reports a weighted 5.1 grade point average, is good friends with Irish class of 2023 wide receiver signee Braylon James, a fellow Round Rock, Texas native.
“Leonard is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Blake said. “You have to attest a lot of that to his family; he comes from a great family. His dad is a college professor. Athletics is one thing, but academics is what they’re in it for. He’s a really smart, patient kid. He’s a great student and his GPA reflects that.”
