Hurricanes eyeing Arizona QB prospect Moga
The Hurricanes’ quarterback room took a hit in the offseason, with Jake Garcia departing for Missouri. Now, Miami is looking to bring in at least one signal-caller in its next recruiting class.
One 2024 quarterback Miami’s coaching staff has an early eye on is Arizona native Luke Moga, and the interest is mutual. Although he is from the other side of the country, the rising senior quarterback is not limiting himself to West Coast schools.
“I’ve grown up in my central Phoenix bubble, so I’m open to going other places,” Moga told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Location matters less than relationships and football. I look for fit culturally, socially and schematically. I wanted to build strong relationships and trust with the head coach and the (offensive coordinator) at these schools.”
Fortunately for Miami, Moga already has a good relationship with Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. Moga, who is rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, said he speaks to Cristobal the most and also talks to UM analyst Cody Orgeron, graduate assistant Nate Crutchfield and recruiting staffer Dennis Smith.
“Those are my guys,” Moga said. “They make me feel at home and they are super awesome. I’m excited to get back to hang out with them.”
Moga, who is listed at 6-2 and 190 pounds, said Cristobal’s choice of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to replace former coaches Josh Gattis and Frank Ponce is important to him. His reaction to the Hurricanes hiring Shannon Dawson from Houston to be the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was positive.
“He runs a great offense, and I’m excited he’s at Miami,” Moga said.
Moga, who also holds offers from Arizona State, North Carolina State and Oregon, visited Miami in January, shortly after receiving a Hurricanes scholarship offer. He said he plans to take several visits this spring to schools in the ACC, Big 12, PAC-12 and SEC. However, Moga has not set a date to come back to Coral Gables yet.
Moga, who played a mix of quarterback and wide receiver as a sophomore, had a solid junior season at Sunnyslope, which finished 6-5 last season. He passed for 2,258 yards and 26 touchdowns, but threw eight interceptions and completed just 47 percent of his passes. He also ran for 539 yards and five scores.
Entering his final high school season, Moga’s biggest goal is not an individual one. He wants to reach the postseason and get his team a playoff victory.
“All of these accomplishments of mine don’t matter unless I bring Sunnyslope a playoff win,” Moga said. “We haven’t had one in almost a decade. That’s the goal (going) into next season: Quiet the noise, and make a run.”