Tarvarius Moore

: A no-star athlete recruit out of high school, Tarvarius (Tuh-various) Moore was a three-year starting safety at Quitman, helping lead the team to three straight Class 4A South State championship games. Despite earning Second Team all-state honors, he went overlooked by college programs with only one Division-I scholarship offer (FCS-level Alcorn State). Moore had the grades for Division-I, but elected to enroll at Pearl River Community College where he played for two seasons. He received more attention from FBS programs this time around and was considered a three-star JUCO recruit. Moore received offers from power-five programs like Louisville and Kansas, but Southern Miss was closer to home. He was worked into the safety rotation as a junior in 2016 and tied for the team-lead with two interceptions despite not starting a game. Moore took over the starting free safety duties as a senior and emerged as one of the better defensive backs in Conference USA.

in our opinion

Moore has yet to play his best football and with added discipline, he has the athletic skills and natural instincts to make his mark in a starting secondary, projecting best as a nickel defender.

strengths

Long-limbed, moldable frame with room to get stronger…outstanding play speed with acceleration that is instant, not gradual…short-area burst to drive and close…naturally instinctive with a quick trigger, recognizing tendencies and reacting before the offense does…provides a thump as a tackler, driving through his target to create stopping power…stacks and covers, showing fluid movements in his transition…ball skills to crowd and disrupt – led team in interceptions each of his two seasons at Southern Miss…experienced lining up single high or over slot receivers…motivated by the death of his sister and only sibling (TavyAnna), who passed away in July 2017 from a ruptured blood vessel while she slept…has special teams experience…durable and played in every game the last two seasons.

weaknesses

Slender frame and lacks ideal bulk for NFL safety work…needs to do a better job disguising coverage…caught guessing at times, confusing route combinations or falling for eye manipulation by the quarterback…overeager tackler on the move and needs to better come to balance and square up his target…room to tweak his wrap-up fundamentals to be a more consistent finisher…needs to better use his length to shed and free himself from blockers…needs to better navigate through the weeds on cross-formation pursuit angles…only one season of FBS starting experience.

summary

A one-year starter at Southern Miss, Moore was the starting free safety in the Golden Eagles’ 4-2-5 base defense in 2017, putting together the senior campaign scouts were hoping to see from the JUCO transfer. He posted head-turning numbers at the team’s pro day, which reflect his on-field athleticism and range, flashing fast angles and pursuit speed to chase down ballcarriers. Moore looks to tune up his target, but has room to tidy up his fundamentals in run support.

.High School: Three-year standout safety at Quitman

.Second-team Class 3A All-State by Mississippi Coaches Association

Helped Panthers to three, consecutive South State title game appearances.