SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Larry Moon answered the question as if he were insulted by the premise.
Why did the 2027 cornerback recruit from Aliquippa (Pa.) High make it a point to camp at Notre Dame on Sunday for the Irish Invasion?
“If you’re not caring about the Irish,” Moon said, “then what are you doing?”
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Moon gave that answer after Notre Dame’s coaching staff made clear to Moon its interest in him. Moon received a Notre Dame scholarship offer following his camp performance.
“It’s really special, because the Irish at Notre Dame have a really good tradition in football,” Moon said.
Moon’s not exactly a Notre Dame historian, but he's watched the Irish play through the years and has a distinct memory of the Shamrock Series jerseys from 2016. While Sunday’s visit was more about competing than touring campus, Moon couldn’t help but be drawn to Notre Dame’s gold helmets while he was checking out the facilities.
“The gold helmets are crazy,” Moon said.
Following a freshman season at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Moon has plenty of helmets to pick from for a future college. Notre Dame became his 26th scholarship offer on a list that includes Penn State, Pittsburgh, Miami, Michigan and LSU.
Moon showed why with an impressive performance covering wide receivers in Sunday’s camp. He was hoping to make a strong statement that certainly isn’t too outlandish.
“That I’m the best DB in the class of 2027,” Moon said.
That meant taking back-to-back reps in some one-on-one scenarios. The young Moon didn’t let fatigue impact him.
“I love competing, so I didn’t really think about it,” Moon said.
Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens complimented Moon on his technique, and he highlighted the importance of eyes to help Moon take another step in his development.
“He said my eyes have to be right on the hip all the time,” Moon said. “He kept correcting me on the eyes.”
That was an example of Mickens carefully watching each player to identify something that can help their game specifically.
“It was a pleasure in how he took time to coach us individually,” Moon said. “Not coaching us all the same. He was coaching us individually to our skills.”
Moon would like to return to Notre Dame in the fall for a game. Before that, he plans to attend camps at Ohio State and Ole Miss this month.
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