Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel lit up when he saw Nic Moore on campus.
The four-star Class of 2025 offensive lineman from Jefferson County appreciated Heupel’s enthusiasm whenever they spoke. That helped make his decision to commit to Tennessee on Thursday even clearer.
“He was excited about me, and I could tell he was being genuine,” Moore told Knox News. “When I decided to call him last night and tell him I was committing, he was really excited. I could hear him smiling through the phone, his wife was celebrating and everybody was just having a big celebration.”
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Moore is the No. 10 player in the state and the No. 20 interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He chose the Vols after receiving an offer on May 10. He went on an official visit over the weekend.
He committed to Tennessee over Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
Moore was named the Region 1-6A Offensive Lineman of the Year and made the Knox News All-PrepXtra first team as an offensive lineman in 2023.
An important factor in Moore’s decision was Tennessee’s culture.
“They have a sense of togetherness that no other team has that I’ve been to,” said Moore, who also had interest in Ole Miss, North Carolina and Kentucky. “They’re applying every little bit of that culture to their lives so it’s not just an in-building thing, it’s an out-of-building thing. And I feel like they’re making the community better and that’s something I like to be a part of.”
Moore also appreciated the manner Tennessee conveyed how it’ll prioritize not only his development as a player but also as a person.
Moore described himself as an “aggressive” player on the field capable of noticing incoming blitzes. He also said he’s a leader who energizes his teammates during competition
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Moore also plays defensive tackle and helped lead Jefferson County to a 10-2 record and a Class 6A state second-round appearance. He had 40 tackles, 14 quarterback pressures, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.
The night before Moore announced his commitment is one that he’ll treasure. He spent it with his parents and Jefferson County coach Spencer Riley. He said that officially taking a step forward in his career was an unbelievable moment.
“It really sunk that I will be going to play college football next year and that was really exciting for me and my family,” Moore said. “Everybody had a bunch of smiles on their face.”
Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
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