Cardinal Gibbons’ Ahmad Moten becomes Miami Hurricanes’ latest top local talent to sign

When it comes to the college football landscape, nobody had a clue who he was six months ago.

Despite being part of a pair of state championship teams, a mediocre first three years as a defensive lineman at Cardinal Gibbons had netted Ahmad Moten nothing in terms of interest from major colleges to play at the next level.

But, thanks in part to an intense workout regimen to improve his physique and skill set, Moten became one of the biggest breakout performers in South Florida last season, jumping from a virtual unknown to a first-team All-Broward performer.

All of that hard work paid off Wednesday afternoon when Moten was the headliner among 15 different athletes as Gibbons hosted a big national signing day ceremony in its gym.

And there was also plenty of drama as well for Moten as far as where he was taking his football talents. Heavily recruited by new University of Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, Moten was still uncommitted when he showed up at the ceremony wearing a generic sweatshirt not wanting to tip his hand.

But when the time came, he ripped off the sweat shirt and was wearing orange and green colors underneath. Moten then held up a big “U” with both his hands to let the big roaring crowd know that he was headed to Coral Gables to join the Canes family for the next four years.

“Why not the U!!!,” Moten shouted after the ceremony. “I talked to the coaches, talked to my family and felt like Miami was the best place for me. It’s crazy because it all happened so fast. I hadn’t gotten a single offer until this past October and then it became a whirlwind and happened so fast. I’m so blessed, it’s overwhelming but I love it and glad it’s done. Now it’s time to go win.”

After recording just 17 tackles and three tackles for loss as a junior, Moten more than doubled his production as a senior with 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble, helping lead Gibbons to a 21-19 win over Cocoa and second straight Class 4A championship and third in four years.

Moten went from not having a single offer before his senior year to a total of 24 by the time he made UM his selection on Wednesday. Cristobal made him a priority in the last two months and Moten made no bones about it – Cristobal had a lot to do with his decision to become a Hurricane.

“Just him in general had an influence on me,” Moten said. “As a person, I really like him, like his personality, like what he wants to do for the program, like what he’s doing already and felt like it was home for me. I went down to the campus last weekend and talking to other players, you just got that feeling that they’re building something really special down there and I want to be a part of it.”

The one other piece of drama belonged to Moten’s defensive teammate, R Mason Thomas.

Having made the switch from running back to outside linebacker following his sophomore year, Thomas, unlike Moten, excelled in a big way, was on everybody’s radar and had long ago verbally committed to Iowa State.

Thomas, a top-500 prospect that 247Sports had recently bumped to four-star status after he went off for 19 tackles for loss and 12 sacks last season, entered the gym wearing an Iowa State sweatshirt.

But then came the old “switcharoo” as he then ripped off the Iowa State colors and showed off another shirt that displayed upside down horns and said “HORNS DOWN.”

“I’m going to Oklahoma,” said Thomas whose shirt was a clear shot at OU’s archrival, the University of Texas Longhorns, a video that is sure to go viral in the Austin, Texas area.

Why the last minute switch? Thomas went the spiritual route.

“I just feel like God led me to Oklahoma and that’s where I needed to be,” said Thomas who made his on-campus visit to OU on Jan. 21. “Everything I needed and wanted was there. I did a lot of soul searching and kind of reached my decision last week. My visit to Norman, it just felt like home. I wanted it to be home and God led it to be my home.”

Thomas also has history with new Sooners coach Brent Venables. According to Thomas, the long-time Clemson defensive coordinator had initially reached out to Thomas over a year ago with an interest in bringing him to Clemson.

“I met with Coach Venables on my visit and already knew him from when he was at Clemson,” said Thomas, now 6-2, 215 pounds and indicated that the plan is for him to play the outside linebacker position in Norman. “He’s a great coach that I had a great conversation with and was in a real comfort zone with. Nothing against Iowa State or the other schools that had offered me but I just felt like this was where I belonged.”

Gibbons had two other football signees, John Bock II and Gabriel Espineira, who both signed with FIU. Five other players, Trayvon Brown (Coastal Carolina), Jackson Crozier (Florida, PWO), Isaiah Farris (Boston College), Davon Kiser (Cornell) and Damon Jackson (Keiser University) also signed.

MORE FOOTBALL SIGNINGS

Chaminade-Madonna: Jeremiah McGill (UMass); Deerfield Beach: Hezekiah Masses (FIU); Miramar: Darius Thomas (Western Kentucky); Western: Percy Courtney Jr. (FIU), Jullian Lewis (Georgia Tech); St. Thomas Aquinas: Anthony Hankerson (Colorado), Zion Turner (UConn), Dawson Alters (Virginia), Tellek Lockette (Louisiana-Monroe), Terphil Bien-Aime (Alabama A&M), Jerrod Cameron (Coastal Carolina), Michael Cascarano (Norwich), Jovee Celestin (Amherst), Derrieon Craig (UMass), Justin Fevrier (New Hampshire), Parker Konrath (Butler College), Marvin Orozco (WPI), Michael Renoit (Brown), Boaz Saint-Vil (Valdosta State), Jaylan Sanchez (Villanova), Blake Steen (Virginia).

▪ Gibbons non-football signings: Chloe Celler, girls basketball, Brandeis University; Emma Neclerio, girls lacrosse, Columbia; Caden Day, boys volleyball, Penn State; Wyatt Flack, baseball, St. Leo University; Aidan Hernandez, baseball, Polk State College; Preston James, baseball, Lake Sumter State College.

▪ St. Thomas Aquinas non-football signings - Baseball: Anthony Fimiano (Florida Southwestern), Alexander Llinas (Nicholls State), Derek Rahim (Flagler College), Jake Rappold (Lander), Jacob Turnbull (South Florida State), James Turnbull (South Florida State), Roger Vergara (Nicholls State); Basketball: Andrew Akuchie (Rice), Matthew Cadogan (Brandeis), Jada Green (Richmond); Crew: Haylie Salce (Alabama), Anabela Shearer (George Mason); Golf: Lily Celentano (Butler), Morgan Herring (Coastal Georgia), Erin Marcelino (Tennessee State); Softball: Isabel Cohen (Emory), Meghan Murphy (Mars Hill); Lacrosse: Julia Backenstrass (Bucknell), Sofia Guttmann (Amherst), Peri Riegner (Louisville), Skylar Troyan (Assumption), Ava Yovino (Navy), Robert Coolidge (Flagler College), Walter Lannon (Flagler College), Trace McDonald (Flagler College), Christian Sordo (Flagler College); Sailing: Kaitlyn Hamilton (Brown), Jack Redmond (Boston College); Soccer: Emma Goldfine (Nova Southeastern), Mya Necolettos (Georgia College and State U.); Volleyball: Meredith Dixon (New Hampshire), Kalin Hubbard (Liberty), Alyssa McBean (Appalachian State), Liah Perez Classe (Franklin and Marshall).