Texas Tech will have some holes to fill on the defensive side of the football between now and the start of next season. With Riko Jeffers and Colin Schooler both wrapping up their college careers, the Red Raider linebacking corps is going to have to replace a combined 178 tackles between the two players.

In Tim DeRuyter’s base defense, which will more than likely be some type of 3-4/3-3-5 combination, the linebacker position plays a crucial role. Kayvon Thibodeaux, a projected top-5 draft pick, played the “Joker” position in DeRuter’s scheme at Oregon. The Joker is basically a 3-4 outside linebacker/edge rusher, a position typically reserved for a team’s best pass rusher.

With the Big 12 now favoring the run more than in previous years, there’s a greater need for strong linebacker play in the middle of your defense. Krishon Merriweather choosing to comeback for his super-senior season was a big addition for next year's team. Merriweather led the team with 75 tackles in 2020 and was sixth this year with 52 tackles. Joining him in the middle of the defense could very well be mid-year transfer Dimitri Moore.

Moore was one of the first three signees of the Joey McGuire era. The former Vanderbilt Commodore was a standout linebacker for a highly underwhelming team that went 9-25 over his three seasons. His success at the position went largely overlooked against the backdrop of the SEC, competing against some of the most premiere athletes and programs in college football on a weekly basis.

After redshirting in 2017, Moore spent another three seasons at Vanderbilt. He earned SEC All-Freshman honors and was second on team with 84 tackles in 2018, his first season as a starter. Moore was fourth in the SEC and led the Commodores with 99 tackles in 2019.

He entered the 2020 season as a preseason Butkus Award candidate but decided to opt out after losing his grandfather to Covid. Moore would ultimately decide to opt back in and recorded 36 tackles in seven games before entering the transfer portal that offseason. He played in one game and recorded one tackle with a fumble recovery for Missouri State before an injury would cost him the remainder of the 2021 season.

Moore played for McGuire at Cedar Hill, so it only seemed fitting that a Tech team hungry for bodies at the linebacker position would arrange for him to be reunited with his old high school coach. He’s officially listed at 6-foot-3, 234 pounds and is going to provide good size for the Red Raiders at the linebacker position. Moore had over 200 tackles and 15 sacks and was a two-time captain in three seasons of high school football.

“He was a part of my last class at Cedar Hill,” McGuire said. “He was an All-SEC freshman player at Vanderbilt and a grad transfer coming back to Texas. He’s a Will linebacker and has got really good length. He’s every bit of 6-3 and probably 230-235 pounds and can really run.”

Coaches talk about wanting to their linebackers to play downhill fast, and Moore is a good example of that. He’s an instinctual, ball-hawk at the linebacker position, and his athleticism and large frame helps him shed blockers and make plays on the football. He’s a sideline-to-sideline defender with the closing speed to be a real menace for opposing offenses.

Moore has the ability to play at the next level and possesses all the skillsets demanded of the modern three-down linebacker in the NFL. Opportunity is key for collegiate athletes, and Moore will have plenty of opportunity to up his draft stock with a solid 2022 campaign for Texas Tech.