Montigo Moss said his comfort level with the coaching staff and the players’ obvious commitment to the program’s success were the two primary reasons he decided to join the University of Maine football program.
Montigo Moss, the younger son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, announced his decision Thursday in a Twitter post.
“I liked the coaching staff and the facilities and the players all seemed like they were [committed] to the program,” Moss said. “And I want to be surrounded by that.”
He said tight end Shawn Bowman was his host during his recruiting visit and he asked him a lot of questions about the program.
Moss is expected to sign a National Letter of Intent cementing his commitment once the regular signing period for football begins Feb. 5.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver caught 41 passes for 1,041 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia.
That’s an average of 25.4 yards per catch.
Fork Union head coach Captain Mark Shuman praised Moss as an outstanding young man.
“Not only is he a great football player, he is one of the most humble young men I have been around,” Shuman said.
“I think he is an absolute steal for Maine. He will be a big-time player for them and the CAA [Colonial Athletic Association]. It will not surprise me if he becomes a household name in his first year there,” he said.
When it comes to on-field skills, Moss has many.
“He has great ball skills and is a polished route-runner,” Shuman said. “Of course, he can improve on every aspect of being a receiver but his genetic ability is easy to see as a football player. Whether that’s running the ball, throwing the ball and, of course, catching the ball.”
Moss said UMaine is similar to Fork Union in that there aren’t many distractions near the campus.
“I’ll be able to focus on my dream and goal of playing at the next level,” Moss said.
Moss said his father, who caught 982 passes for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns and played in Super Bowls with the New England Patriots (2007) and the San Francisco 49ers (2012), has been influential in his development.
“He taught me how to grind and get after it. That kind of work ethic came from him,” Montigo Moss said. “He has worked with me since I started to play. He has made me better.”
He hopes to contend for a starting spot next fall.
UMaine graduated its top two receivers in Jaquan Blair (65 catches, 839 yards) and All-American Earnest Edwards (49-1,097) but does return Devin Young (41-593) and Andre Miller (28-229) along with Jacob Hennie (7-75).
“I’ll be working to get that spot. I want to prove to the coaches that I’m not just Randy Moss’ son. I have my own name, and I want to make it for myself,” Moss said.
The native of Charlotte, North Carolina, who said he was recruited by two other colleges, said he has run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and is looking to get faster.
“I want to improve my speed. That’s a big part of moving up from high school to college,” Moss said.
His brother, Thaddeus Moss, was a tight end for the national champion Louisiana State University Tigers last season. He has declared for the 2020 NFL draft.
UMaine starts training camp in August.