Joe Moore delaying his decision date so he could visit ASU was to no one's surprise a clear indication that the Sun Devils were in the driver's seat to land the St. Louis Cardinal Ritter four-star defensive lineman. Today's announcement by Moore, who visited Tempe this past weekend simply confirmed that theory.

“The atmosphere at the game was crazy,” Moore said following his visit. “The fans were really hyped and supporting their team. I really liked the facilities there. The coaches really stood to me because they all had the same mindset and they were really open with me. They were really straight forward.

"The visit to Arizona State was a real eye-opener. I’ve been waiting to come visit Arizona State because I had questions about the program and I got all my questions answered. Seeing what scheme they run, how do I fit it and what do they see for me? I got to see everything I needed to see about the school.

“The game was lit. I loved the way the way the defense was grinding. They didn’t fold and towards the end of the game, they came together as a team and got the dub. I hung out with Steph Wright and Jordan Clark. They said that being on this was ‘life-changing.’ They both had some big offers and could have gone anywhere they wanted, but when they visited Arizona State, they realized it was home and they didn’t want to leave.”

Moore stated his future position coach would be a significant factor in his decision and the relationship he developed with Sun Devils’ defensive line coach Jamar Cain was naturally an aspect in his decision that cannot be overstated.

“I like coach Cain and I think he’s a funny guy," Moore remarked. "He’s very open and answered all of my questions and has been very straight forward with me. He’s been one of my earliest offers (back in February of this year) and he never went away. Even when I was getting a bunch of other offers, he was still there with me.

“I talked to coach Herm and I like how he treats his players and how he talked about education and life after football. That school really takes their academics seriously there. I really liked the academic support there and the one-on-one coaching.”

Moore officially visited both North Carolina and Minnesota back in June as well as unofficially visiting Illinois. The family aspect of his decision was certainly significant since his brother, whom the lineman is very close to, lives in the Phoenix metro area and accompanied him on his trip last weekend.

“It’s big because it’s my brother," Moore commented, "and if I went to ASU it would feel like a home away from home because it’s family,”

Moore is ASU's 18th known commit in the 2020 recruiting class and the ninth defensive pledge. He will be graduating in the spring but plans to sign his Letter of Intent in December.

Join us on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and join your fellow Sun Devil fans!