Meet Ryan Mooney, a late-blooming gem in the 2023 class
A year ago, Ryan Mooney, then 17, was grabbing a bat and stepping into the box against some of the best high school pitchers in the country.
In the summer of 2020, Mooney followed his father, Joe (Michigan), and older brother Alex's (Duke) footsteps by committing to a Power Five school to play baseball, choosing Notre Dame over U-M, South Carolina, Michigan State, and others.
Now, 18, two years have gone since his college commitment, and the 6-foot-4 wideout who won back-to-back state and national championships with the Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseball team decided to run some routes in 7 on 7.
Good thing he did.
After deciding to give football a go, Mooney went to Miami (OH) for its prospect camp, where everything changed.
Mooney ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the camp. Call it hand-clocked; call it malarkey. It proves one thing: he's faster than most. He also stood out with several catches, many of which were touchdowns. Immediately, two MAC schools took notice and made moves.
The Red Hawks were the first school to offer Mooney a football scholarship, followed by Central Michigan, then FCS Dartmouth.
Still, he hadn't played football since his freshman year. Schools were intrigued but needed to see more.
Now, they have.
Mooney's profile is raw but lacks no shortage of potential. His elite-level foot speed is coupled with long limbs and an IMAX-sized wingspan. With his speed & size, the only flaw is his weight -- he needs to add mass in the weight room -- and his inexperience, which is out of everyone's control.
He has four touchdowns and 408 yards, averaging 20 yards per catch through five games. His numbers might not jump off the page, but the film was enough for teams to continue monitoring his recruitment.
After Mooney's fifth game, he decided to hurdle what many believed was the biggest obstacle in getting football offers -- quitting baseball.
"Football is just special to me, and it's what I want to do. Still learning the game and trying to get better, but I love it," Mooney told Maize & Blue Review. "It's what my heart wants to do, and I can't wait to see where it takes me."
So, how does an 18-year-old on the brink of graduation navigate this fork in the road?
Simple: keep balling & let the rest work itself out.
"Only person you can bet on is yourself, and I have the confidence in myself to take that risk."
With one box checked, a million more boxes open.
First up: How To Play Football.
"I'm really working on high pointing the ball and running good routes. My mindset is when that ball is in the air, the ball is mine. Also, just pushing vertical on all my routes is something I really am working on."
Glaringly obvious inexperience sabotages what Mooney believes he's capable of.
"I think my ball skills are very good from just being an athlete all my life. Something I've built is my ability to read defenses and get defenders off balance. I still have a lot to learn and develop on, but I'm really falling in love with getting better."
Since announcing his decommitment from Notre Dame and baseball as a whole, Mooney's been contacted by over 15 Division I schools. Boston College, Marshall, and UNLV offered him a full scholarship. Notre Dame offered him as a preferred walk-on.
He's been in contact with Air Force, Florida State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Pitt, Stanford, and others. He visited East Lansing two weekends ago. And he's visiting Iowa for its game against Michigan on Saturday, October 1.
An in-state kid with a lot of Ronnie Bell-like similarities in recruiting terms, but the profile might have more upside.
One scout told me, "he's like Alec Pierce at the same age, yet this kid hasn't played football his whole life Pierce did."
There are many moving parts right now, and they're all moving quickly for the senior, Mooney, who is learning a sport and becoming a recruit all over again.
Four games remain in the regular season, and St. Mary's must win at least three to have a playoff run.
There's little time left for him to prove himself, so every week is a showcase for Mooney, who's still putting a team mentality at the forefront despite his play's contingency on his future.
He is looking for a program with high academics, a winning program, and a development history; ideally, he can decide by the Early Signing Period in mid-December. Otherwise, he'll need to wait until March to sign.
Every day has come with new offers since his announcement, so there's no telling how long his offer sheet will be by November or if a school will scoop him up before then.
All we know is exactly what he knows. He's barely played more football than we have.
Learning on the go, it sure seems like that bet on himself cashed.
MBR can confirm Michigan's interest, although unclear if it's at a PWO or scholarship level.
The Wolverines aren't foreign to picking up baseball-turned-football players at the buzzer. Last recruiting cycle, Chicago ILB Jimmy Rolder was committed to playing baseball at Illinois and entered his senior football season with one MAC offer. By playoff time, he had football offers from U-M, Iowa, LSU, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and more. He ultimately committed to the Wolverines and saw some action in the non-conference schedule as a true freshman scholarship linebacker.
As an in-state kid fast-tracking an impressive interest list, U-M already knew the OLSM senior was a potential gem in the 2023 class. Will a team take a chance before them?
It looks like Mooney will have his options.
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