Even though he was recruited by the Sun Devils out of high school, Travez Moore was not all that familiar with the Arizona State program. That all changed a few weeks ago after the LSU defensive end entered his name in the transfer portal. From that point forward the Tigers' graduate realized all the benefits the ASU program had to offer which is why he decided to commit to the team yesterday.
Moore will arrive in Tempe with one year of eligibility left, is immediately eligible to play next year and is scheduled to ink his name with the Sun Devils in the early signing period, which runs from December 16th through the 18th and is scheduled to enroll at the school in January of 2021 and participate in spring practice.
Moore has already earned his degree from LSU last semester and is taking a couple of graduate courses. He stated that the current semester at LSU will end on December 8th.
"I wish I could come in the next few weeks," Moore admitted.
Moore, who joined the Tigers as a junior college transfer out of Wesson, Mississippi Copiah-Lincoln Community College, spent three years in Baton Rouge. The defensive end played in a total of eight games during that time period (played three in 2018, a season that he did redshirt), posting seven total tackles, including 1.5 sacks.
Over the summer, Moore contracted the COVID-19 virus, which caused him to drop nearly 20 pounds (which the 6-4 246 player gained since then) and later on drove him to opt-out on October 20th of the 2020 season after seeing action in three games. He officially entered the transfer portal on November 11th.
ASU's newest addition remarked that he was able to create a quick yet formidable connection with the Sun Devil staff over the last few weeks. Their collective approach, let alone respective résumés, greatly appealed to him as he was weighing his options.
"Talking to (ASU defensive linemen) coach Rob (Robert Rodriguez), he was just very straightforward with me," Moore said. "He showed me that he really understood the recruiting process that I was going through and that I wasn't just a high school kid getting recruited by a college for the first time. He told me about his experience with the NFL and me as a college football player that's where you want to be at. He showed me how he prepare me for a career in the NFL, and that he sees me as a player that can come in and help the team win some games.
"I also talked to (head coach) coach Herm Edwards. I didn't know him from before, but everybody knows who Herm Edwards is - he's a legend. He told me the same things coach Rob was telling me and what his expectations were from me. I liked what he had to say because coming from the program I'm coming from at LSU, we're used to putting in hard work and winning games. Coach Antonio Pierce, who won a Super Bowl, was the first (ASU) coach to contact me after I put my name in the portal. I developed a good relationship with all the coaches there at ASU. I like their NFL experience, which is why I made my decision to go there."
Playing sparingly at LSU, Moore is naturally plenty motivated to become a more integral part of the defensive line rotation with Arizona State and fully confident that he can achieve that goal.
"I can't even describe it the chip on my shoulder," Moore explained, "it is bigger than the Planet Earth. I want to prove a lot of people wrong, and I want to be coached by coach Rob, dominate on the defensive line and show everybody what I can do on the field.
"The coaches (at Arizona State) said that they want me to come in and help out with the pass rush. They say I bring a lot of speed and physicality to that position. They see me as a dynamic player that can help the defensive linemen they already have. I also bring versatility because I can play linebacker too if they need me to."
Moore prides himself on being a quick learner, which is why he is expecting a relatively smooth transition once he starts partaking in practices with his new team.
"I came into LSU from junior college," Moore recalled, "and I learned the system really fast, so I know I can do the same at Arizona State. I come from a winning program, we won the national championship last year, so I'm all about winning, and that's what I'm used to. I'm trying to bring a national championship to Arizona State. But this isn't just about what I want to accomplish, but it's about accomplishing the team's goals. How can I help my brothers win? That's what I'm about."
Moore mentioned Tennessee, Memphis, Indiana, and Arkansas state as some of the other programs that were pursuing him in earnest since he entered the transfer portal. In some respects, he feels that, ironically, his recruitment has perhaps now come full circle, landing with a team that did pursue him for the first time some five years ago.
"I really never thought about them (ASU) again since they recruited out of high school, Moore said. "I didn't know anything about the program then, and I didn't know anything about (the State of) Arizona.
"But now that they recruited me again out of LSU, that helped my decision too. Maybe this is where my home is supposed to be."
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