Florida DB Devin Moore provides recruiting fireworks with Notre Dame commitment

It wasn’t dark enough for actual fireworks in South Bend on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, but Devin Moore provided some figurative recruiting fireworks for Notre Dame football on the Fourth of July. 

The Irish continued to light up the recruiting trail when the Naples (Fla.) High defensive back announced his Notre Dame verbal commitment on Twitter.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Moore became the sixth recruit to announce an Irish pledge in a 16-day span. He followed four-star linebacker Niuafe Tuihalamaka, three-star offensive lineman Ashton Craig and three-star defensive back Jayden Bellamy in the 2022 class and four-star defensive ends Keon Keeley and Brenan Vernon in the 2023 class. 

All six recent commitments made visits to Notre Dame in June. Moore’s official visit to South Bend, which occurred the weekend of June 12, helped set the Irish apart from competitors Alabama, Florida and Stanford, all of which received June visits from Moore. 

More:Three-star defensive back Jayden Bellamy commits to Notre Dame

More:Notre Dame takes recruiting star power to new level with commitment from Ohio DE Vernon

"The combination of everything they offer is what sold me," Moore told the Naples Daily News. "Academics, football, brand, connections, fans, you name it. Everything is there."

Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and safeties coach Chris O’Leary can both be excited about Moore’s possibilities at Notre Dame. Moore started in the secondary at Naples for the first three seasons of his high school career. He was an all-state selection as a sophomore safety and junior cornerback. He added five interceptions last season to his career total of 10. 

Rivals ranks Moore as a four-star recruit and the No. 29 cornerback in the 2022 class. 247Sports slates him as a three-star recruit and the No. 26 safety. 

“He’s a really good one,” said CBS Sports Network recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. “I loved him. He’s excellent in coverage. He has loose hips and is able run with receivers. He’s physical and will hit. He’s a remarkable player.” 

Like he said about the 6-foot, 175-pound Bellamy, Lemming believes Moore could be a better cornerback than safety. He likes Moore a bit better as a prospect too. 

“They’re both versatile. Moore’s a little bit bigger, quicker and faster than Bellamy," Lemming said. "Corners are much more difficult to get than safeties. I love Moore as a corner, but he may outgrow it.”

During a track meet on May 1, Moore clocked times of 11.1 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.59 seconds in the 200-meter dash. 

Lemming said there’s a lot to like about the progress Notre Dame’s made in secondary recruiting with commitments from Moore, Bellamy and four-star cornerback Jaden Mickey. The Irish hosted three other defensive backs on official visits in June: cornerback Benjamin Morrison and safeties Jake Pope and Xavier Nwankpa. 

Pope, rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, may be the next Irish defensive back target to make a commitment decision. He continues to hint on social media of an upcoming announcement in the next week or so with Notre Dame, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio State and Georgia waiting to learn their fates. 

Notre Dame’s push for more commitments comes with the Irish in a strong position with 18 verbal pledges in the 2022 class. That group remains ranked No. 2 in the country, per both Rivals and 247Sports, and behind only Ohio State’s 15-commit class.

Follow ND Insider Tyler James on Twitter: @TJamesNDI.