Will Rondale Moore return to Purdue? Will he remain out and continue to prepare for the NFL Draft? Those are big questions hanging over the Boilermakers as they begin preparing in earnest for the 2020 season.
The first game is Oct. 24 at home vs. Iowa, so time is on Purdue’s side for Moore to perhaps have a change of heart and return for his redshirt sophomore season. No doubt: The 5-9, 180-pound wideout is one of the best players ever at Purdue.
“The overall talent, explosive speed and playmaking ability is obvious to anyone,” a personnel executive for an NFL team told GoldandBlack.com.
Moore announced on Aug. 6 he was opting out of the 2020 season. It wasn't a shock. Then, five days later on Aug. 11, the Big Ten announced it was postponing the 2020 season. The league reversed course on Sept. 16, unveiling a plan for a nine-game season that will begin Oct. 24 and end Dec. 18-19.
Since then, the Big Ten has seen several players who had opted out reverse course. Ohio State’s Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis are coming back, and so is Penn State's Pat Freiermuth. Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman—the first Big Ten player to opt out—also is back on campus, trying to clear a path for his return. Could Moore join that club? He has declined interview requests.
Moore's Purdue career spanned a scant 17 games. And some NFL teams may want to see Moore in action after he received a scare last season, when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the fourth game. He had 29 catches for 387 yards and two scores prior to hyper-extending his left leg while running a route vs. Minnesota.
Moore took part in some of Purdue's 2020 spring practices, showing no signs of the injury. And Brohm professed Moore to be ready to go prior to the start of 2020 training camp and before Moore subsequently opted out.
"Rondale is currently at 1,000 percent," said Brohm in early August. "He's looked great, like he always has. He is feeling good. He has worked extremely hard in the offseason. I mean, he is on a mission."
Will Moore's next mission be in the NFL? Or should he return to Purdue?
“I don't think he needs to come back,” a scout for an NFL team told GoldandBlack.com. “I don't know what else he's gonna show us except maybe that he's healthy. He can catch the football, he can run routes, he's a mature kid, from what I understand.
“It'd be different if this was a normal season. But why come back and risk it over eight weeks if you're not gonna go through a normal training camp? I mean, look what's happening in the NFL. These guys haven't had a normal training camp, and look what's happening with knees, pulls ... “
If Moore continues to train for the pros, where could he be selected in the April 29-May 1 2021 NFL draft?
“My gut feeling says he's probably an early two, maybe a late one,” said the NFL scout.
Any knocks on Moore?
“His lack of size, length and not having a distinct position for the NFL will create some questions marks,” the NFL personnel executive said.
One current NFL player who seemingly compares favorable from a stature and skill-set standpoint to Moore is Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill, a 5-10, 185-pound dynamo for the defending Super Bowl champs. Hill was a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State/West Alabama in 2016.
“(Hill is) one the fastest players I've ever seen,” the NFL scout said. “I'm not saying Rondale isn't fast. But when you see Tyreek, we're talking different level. I can't remember seeing somebody who can run like him. So, it'd be tough for me to make that comparison.
“Tyreek didn't run great routes coming out. Moore probably runs better routes coming out, just more precise because he doesn't just rely on his speed and change-of-direction skills. He has some savvy to him. When you talk about Tyreek, you get him the ball in space and he goes.”
Moore is one of college football’s most explosive players, capable of scoring each time he touches the ball. The Boilermakers could use his vast array of skills as they attempt to rebound from a 4-8 season.
“We’re going to support any decision he wants to make going forward and the avenue he wants to go,” said Brohm last week. “But, yes, it’s something (having Moore return) that we’re definitely going to look into and see where that goes.”
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If Moore chose to return to West Lafayette, he seemingly would have no hurdles to clear. Sources close to Moore say he hasn’t signed with an agent. He’s also still taking on-line classes and is on track to graduate in December.
“Him playing would obviously erase the question mark about his health since the bulk of his evaluation to this point is from true freshman film,” said the NFL personnel executive. “That’s not real common in regards to the NFL scouting process.”
The executive points out Moore will be almost two years removed from his freshman tape—while also coming off injury—as NFL teams are evaluating him.
Moore was a sensation in his debut season in 2018, when the New Albany, Ind., native made 114 catches for 1,258 yards (11.0 ypc) with 12 touchdowns. Those eye-popping stats made Moore the first true freshman in Big Ten history to earn consensus All-American honors.
So, what should Moore do?
“Purdue is in a different situation than Ohio State, in all honesty,” said the NFL scout, referencing the Buckeyes' national title dreams in 2020 fueling the return of opted out players. “If I was him, I think I'd be looking more toward my future now. Can I get good training at Purdue over the next couple of months? Absolutely. Can I improve my skills? Absolutely. But that all being said, he doesn't need to return like some of the other guys, in my opinion.”
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