At Kelly/Shorts Cookout, 2019 3-star DE Dominic Moore falls in love with CMU
Dominic Moore was one of 10 recruits at Central Michigan's Kelly/Shorts Cookout on July 29.
The coaching staff kept the invite list small to give each player a personal feel for life in Mount Pleasant.
Moore, a three-star strong-side defensive end from Perspectives Charter High School in Chicago, was blown away with his family by his side.
Upon arriving, Moore had a chance to meet with players, eat lunch with coaches and get a tour of the skybox, where he was able to view the field. The most important aspect of the visit was touring the university with his family.
"Coach Knight gave my mother and me a tour of the school," Moore said. "It's a really beautiful school."
After walking through campus, all the recruits returned to the coaches office to watch a pump up video of the top highlights from the 2017 season.
Then, CMU head coach John Bonamego pulled Moore aside.
"We love what kind of kid you are. You are extremely talented, God-given talent," Bonamego told him.
At that moment, Bonamego offered Moore a scholarship to attend CMU as a student-athlete.
"I was speechless when getting the offer," Moore explained. "I was just so excited. I love Central Michigan. They really make me feel like I'm home."
The 6-foot-7, 285 pounder felt at home in Mount Pleasant due to the coaches, players and city. He has offers from CMU and Wyoming, while also having interest in Illinois.
As a defensive end, Moore could see himself following in the footsteps of Joe Ostman, who inked his name as one of the best in CMU history. Ostman was known as a respected person on-and-off the field.
"I feel like I can bring great energy and a strong work ethic to the team," Moore said. "Staring early would mean a lot, but I'm a competitor so wherever the coaches need me to be on the depth chart, I'll be there."
Moore, when it comes to starting, has stuck with the same mentality since he began playing as a three-year-old - "There are no starters until you make yourself a starter."
Growing up in Chicago, Moore was pushed by family, friends and coaches toward basketball even though football had always been his passion.
"I knew I just wanted to play the beautiful game of football," he explained.
Moore connected on a deep level with Bonamego during the visit. The two spent time together talking about both football and life.
"Losing isn't in his dictionary," Moore said of Bonamego. "He is an ultra-competitor."
Along with Moore, the group at the Kelly/Shorts Cookout included three-star running back Lew Nichols, three-star wide receiver Davis Ellis, two-star wide receiver Darrell Wyatt, three-star center Danny Motowski, three-star offensive tackle Maverick Hansen, two-star defensive end Max Saylor, two-star linebacker Logan Guthrie and two-star linebacker Justin Whiteside. Every recruit besides Moore is a member of CMU's 2019 class.
Moore is ranked No. 1,292 in the nation, No. 78 at his position and No. 25 in Illinois, according to 247Sports Composite.
