Ex-Michigan linebacker Hayden Moore commits to UW Huskies

Four months ago, Hayden Moore was wearing maize and blue as Michigan poured onto the field at NRG Stadium in Houston to celebrate winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. 

Now the redshirt freshman linebacker is switching sidelines. 

Washington secured its 10th transfer commitment of the spring Wednesday, landing Moore, a 6-foot-2, 226-pound linebacker. He was a member of the Wolverines’ 2023 recruiting class and did not appear in any games during his freshman season. Moore has four years of eligibility remaining. 

Considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports’ composite rankings, Moore played at Regis Jesuit High School in his hometown of Aurora, Colo. 

He had a productive career, registering 111 tackles and five sacks as Regis Jesuit went 8-4 during his junior season. A year later, Moore led the state with 197 tackles (including seven sacks), an interception and a forced fumble. Regis Jesuit went 7-5 during Moore’s senior season. He also did track and field and baseball in high school. 

Moore finished his high-school career as the No. 94 linebacker in the country, according to the 247Sports’ composite rankings. He was the No. 8 player in Colorado, three spots ahead of current UW offensive lineman Zachary Henning.

Despite his ranking, Moore received scholarship offers from across the country, including Texas A&M, Iowa State, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, UCLA, Washington State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and a host of Mountain West schools. 

Moore chose Michigan. He didn’t play in a game for the Wolverines but was named the defensive scout team player of the week four times during their run to the CFP championship. He entered the transfer portal April 30. 

His decision to transfer to Washington is interesting. Linebacker is one of the only positions where the Huskies return a substantial amount of experience. 

Sixth-year linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala made 69 tackles as a starter during the 2023 season. He had 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection and a memorable interception against Utah that ended a yard short of the end zone when he dropped the ball at the 1-yard line. 

Fifth-year linebacker Carson Bruener racked up 86 tackles during the 2023 season, finishing third among all UW players and making him the Huskies’ leading returning tackler for 2024. He also had three pass deflections, a forced fumble and an interception. 

Washington also has former walk-on Drew Fowler, an important sixth-year special-teams contributor who was given a scholarship by coach Jedd Fisch days after the new coach arrived in Seattle. He spent most of the spring working as part of UW’s No. 2 linebacker tandem with senior linebacker Bryun Parham, a San Jose State transfer and 2023 All-Mountain West honorable-mention selection who led the Spartans in tackles. 

Tuputala, Bruener, Fowler and Parham might command a majority of the snaps in 2024, but the Huskies have few bodies behind them. 

Junior linebacker Anthony Ward began his college career as a walk-on at Washington. He transferred to Arizona before the 2022 season to join his brother, sophomore edge rusher Isaiah Ward. Anthony Ward became an important special-teamer for the Wildcats and earned a scholarship before transferring back to Washington with his brother to follow Fisch and his staff. He returns to Washington on scholarship. 

Besides Anthony Ward, Washington’s only linebackers are redshirt freshman Deven Bryant, who missed spring practice while recovering from a foot injury, and true freshman Khmori House, a Kalen DeBoer recruit who kept his commitment with Washington. The Huskies have no sophomore linebackers. 

Redshirt freshman linebacker Jordan Whitney, a former three-star recruit from Oxnard, Calif., entered the transfer portal April 30.

Though Moore might not get lots of game experience in 2024, he could be in line for significant snaps in the future, assuming he doesn’t enter the portal again.