Parker Moore Bringing 'Plenty of Value' to Pokes' Defense

LARAMIE -- Like any college coach, Jay Sawvel said he feared a bigger program could swoop in at the 11th hour.

One almost did when it came to Parker Moore. And it was the one Wyoming's head coach dreaded the most: Kansas.

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Moore, then a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker, played his high school football in Lawrence, right in the shadows of Kansas Memorial Stadium. His father, Jim Moore, was also a tight end for the Jayhawks in the mid-90s.

"I was definitely 'Rock Chalk,'" Moore said with a smile.

That, at the time, was like nails on a chalkboard for Sawvel.

"I had specific fears all throughout the year with Parker Moore, because I think he's outstanding," he said on national signing day back in December of 2024. "... His video is very good, and you look at his size, and you look at his body, and you see what he can do. There was a constant fear all year long that this was a guy, that, man, if we can hold on to him, because of all the different things that could be available."

Yes, KU did indeed kick the tires, Moore admitted.

"I had like a weird situation with them toward the end of my senior year, toward signing day," he added. "They were like, 'yeah, do this, do this, do that, and then we'll get you here.' I was just, Wyoming treated me so good; there was no reason for me to even really think about KU."

Whew.

Moore, now tipping the scales at 238 pounds, is entering his second season in Laramie. He appeared in four games last year, maintaining his redshirt status. Now, with the NCAA's new "5-in-5 rule," Sawvel said he wishes he could've played him even more.

The three-star prospect was on the field for 11 total plays, all coming on kickoff coverage. He finished with one assisted tackle.

Though there's nothing truly impressive about those meager numbers, a wide smile crossed the redshirt freshman's face.

"That definitely built up some confidence, for sure," Moore said. "I think that helped me out a lot, heading into this year. I would also say it maybe put some confidence in some of our special teams coaches, because I think, especially with other linebacker, Steven Perez, we both got our four (games) and showed the coaches that we can play and we're not afraid of contact.

"We're not afraid of anybody older or bigger. We're football players and we're ready to play."

Sawvel agrees.

Though he had all but penciled in the starters for the opener Sept. 5 at Colorado State -- Ethan Stuhlsatz will man the middle while Gary Rutherford will handle the weak-side -- the depth chart beyond that is still being sorted out. Dash Bauman is leading the way at MIKE, Sawvel said, while Moore and Perez are battling it out on the outside.

Moore said he has been working at the weak-side but one day could be an option at either spot. Sawvel said there is zero doubt he will be a major contributor on special teams as he awaits his turn in the pecking order.

"Parker is a hammer," Sawvel added. "He's a physical guy who is really explosive. It doesn't take very long to look at him and go, 'This guy's kind of yoked up,' you know what I mean? There'll be a lot of value."

In other words, Moore is meeting the expectations put on him in the recruiting process.

"We're getting a really good athlete," Austin Maus, Wyoming's Director of Football Operations, said on signing day. "Parker has grown a ton in high school, and he's a guy that is going to be one of the bigger linebackers in the room, showing up. But, again, he's a really good athlete, had really good senior film and is a great kid."

When asked about Moore after his NFL Pro Day workout last March, Evan Eller's eyes widened. The former starting linebacker said the rookie is "light years" more talented than he ever was. He credited his work ethic. He raved about his potential in Aaron Bohl's 4-2-5 system.

That's not all.

"He's a great learner, he's a great leader, and he's also a great follower whenever he needs to be," Eller said. "So, that linebacker room is going to be just fine moving forward."

"Riding for the Brand" isn't exactly a foreign concept for Moore, either. Though he grew up a Jayhawks' fan, his father did not. He was born and raised in Torrington where his mother still lives today. His father also spent time as a coach in Mountain View. His aunt Marcia Moore is littered throughout the school's history books in girl's basketball. He even has an uncle just on the wrong side of the border in Scottsbluff.

Yes, that too played a role in Moore landing on the high plains.

"I kind of didn't realize how big of a deal it was for them that I came here because, you know, they're already Wyoming fans," he said. "Obviously, everyone in Wyoming is a Wyoming football fan, but I get pictures sent like weekly, damn near, of like my little cousins and stuff with Wyoming shirts on. It's like, wow, it means so much."

When a "307" number showed up on Moore's cell phone in the summer of 2025, tempered excitement built. Bohl, on three-days' notice, told him he wanted to see him at a development camp in Nebraska. That was a no-brainer. Halfway through the workout, Sawvel and his defensive coordinator summoned him to the sideline.

The offer was officially on the table.

"It kind of felt surreal in that moment, because I remember my dad was up in the stands and I remember looking at him," Moore said. "I probably did something stupid because I couldn't really contain how I was feeling really.

"I knew, in that moment, yeah, I'm going to Wyoming."

Moore is now focused on refining his game and mastering his assignments. He certainly looks the part of a college linebacker: thick neck, broad shoulders and an athletic frame. Still, he keeps the entire process in perspective.

He knows there is experience all around him. He knows guys have paid their dues. He knows he will one day get his opportunity.

"I'm taking every day, right now, seriously," he added. "I want to play linebacker. I want to get that feel."

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