Kenmore senior Deon’tae Moore decided Friday that staying in Akron sounds good.
Moore has orally committed to the University of Akron to continue his academic and football careers.
Ed Peltz coached Moore at Kenmore and said UA coach Terry Bowden recruited him to play outside linebacker. Moore is 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds.
“I know that it was a difficult decision for him because when the whole thing first started with him, he had four or five Big Ten teams, and West Virginia and Pittsburgh interested,” Peltz said. “From there some went other directions and he pulled off of some. It was a neat process to see him digest things and decide where he wanted to go.
“Eastern Michigan did a nice job of recruiting him, I was very impressed with their coaching staff. They were outstanding. Coach [Ron] English and coach [Ken] Delgado are classy guys. Obviously, [UA defensive coordinator] Chuck Amato did a great job with Deon’tae and making his mom [Dionna] comfortable with his decision. It is a tough decision for a local kid to decide, do I want to stay home or do I want to go away for school?”
Moore also had scholarship offers from EMU, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo.
“They all liked his length, his speed, his sideline-to-sideline movement and they like his attitude on the field,” Peltz said. “Deon’tae is a very personable young man. We wish him well and I know he will represent Kenmore very well at the next level.”
Moore was named the City Series Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after totaling 98 tackles (56 solo), 10 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. He also had 12 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and gained 27 yards rushing on four carries.
As a junior, he had 73 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, had 14 sacks, forced five fumbles and recovered two, blocked three kicks, batted down six passes and blocked a punt.
Moore received Associated Press All-Ohio and All-Northeast Ohio Inland District honors in Division II as a junior and senior.
