RECRUITING: Linebacker From Oklahoma Overcomes Adversity
Updated: Feb 16, 2021
NAME: Darryan Moss
HIGH SCHOOL: Broken Arrow High School (Oklahoma)
POSITION: Inside Linebacker
TOP SCHOOLS: Abilene Christian, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Houston Baptist, New Mexico, Texas State, Weber State, Kansas State*, Memphis*, Oklahoma State*, Texas Tech*
*Indicates he has not received a scholarship offer
For Darryan Moss, a 220-pound senior linebacker from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, continuing his football journey isn’t simply about throwing on the shoulder pads and helmet on Saturdays and getting a scholarship - it’s also about fulfilling a promise.
Moss’ father tragically passed away from a heart attack when he was only 41 years of age. While the elder Moss lay in the hospital, unable to speak, Darryan took the time to visit and speak with his father in his final moments. “I was making promises; he couldn’t speak back to me,” Moss told Weber State Weekly. “I told him […] I’d make it to play Division One football.”
That moment and those words have served as a driving force for Moss - a three-star prospect and one of the best defensive players in the state of Oklahoma - to work harder and become the best football player and person that he can possibly be.
Moss has also seen and overcome plenty of physical adversity on the playing field. Last season, in a playoff game against a local rival, Moss was making a tackle and felt a cleat jump up and kick him in the ribs.
“I knew something was wrong, because I couldn’t breathe or talk,” Moss told us. He later found out that he had broken three of his ribs on the play, but he finished the game and even recorded a sack in the process.
Moss describes himself as “big, fast and physical.” When you roll the tape on the inside linebacker, all of that rings true. His 40 time (4.5) gives him a competitive advantage against most opponents, but Moss also has the size and strength necessary to finish any play. His ability to see plays develop and read offenses is nearly unmatched in Oklahoma, and his instincts to get to the ball make Moss one of the best defensive playmakers in his home state.
When asked what he wants out of his college experience, the potential future businessman responded, “I would like for [the university I ultimately attend] to have a good business program. I’m thinking about majoring in business and accounting.”
From a football perspective, the stud linebacker wants to be a winner. “I want [to go to school] somewhere that will better me as a player and as a man. I want to go compete for a national championship and play for a winning program.”
WALDO’S MAGIC 8 BALL PREDICTION
When we consulted Waldo’s Magic 8 Ball (which can be very fickle) as to whether Darryan Moss would be donning purple and white on Saturdays next fall, the response we got was, “Outlook good.”
Moss made it clear that he wants to play for a winner, and when looking at the schools that have offered him, it certainly appears that Weber State has been winning at a higher clip than the competition. In addition to that, Weber State either led or was near the top of every major team defensive statistic last season. There is a clear fit, and there appears to be serious interest on both sides. We would love to see Moss making plays for Weber State next fall..