Leonard Moore’s dad reveals the brutally honest Notre Dame pitch that worked perfectly

The idea that Marcus Freeman has used Notre Dame to recruit in ways he couldn’t at other schools isn’t new. Leonard Moore’s father recently gave a unique look inside that very direct approach and how it works.

In a recent appearance on the podcast Two Sports Dads, Dr. Leonard Moore, the father of the Fighting Irish star, explained the rather unusual recruiting pitch Freeman gave to his son. In the process, he showed that Freeman knows his school and that the players who come to South Bend are unique men, each on their own.

“The last, right before we left, we're going to meet with Freeman. And Freeman says, Leonard, I want you here, but I want you to understand what you're signing up for,” the elder more said about their last trip to Notre Dame.

“There ain't nothing to do up here. It ain't a bunch of nightlife. Yep. Ain't no online classes. The classes are hard,” the head coach laid out before getting to the punchline. “But if you can come and do this, if you can come here and do this. There is nothing in life you won't be able to do.”

Marcus Freeman sold Leonard Moore on Notre Dame football without promising playing time or an easy path

Dr. Leonard Moore added that he also liked that the coaching staff didn’t promise his son immediate playing time if he came to Notre Dame. He said that (then cornerbacks coach) Mike Mickens even told the young defensive back that he would get a chance to compete, but that he would have to compete like everyone else.

The look into what Moore was told is interesting because the Fighting Irish have reportedly made this pitch to quite a few recruits Freeman has targeted since arriving in South Bend. The coaching staff isn’t shy about telling the guys they want to land that the university's strenuous academic standards will be the biggest roadblock to success.

But instead of letting it be a true roadblock, Freeman and his staff make it clear that it takes a special kind of person to do what needs to be done. It challenges a player they’re recruiting, and it clearly resonated with Moore’s father.

The lack of any promise that even someone talented like Leonard Moore won’t get a starting spot just because they committed is something that stands out as well. That’s not an opinion; the Notre Dame star’s dad attested to it.

The rest of the story is that Moore not only committed based on that final recruiting pitch, but he also played almost immediately. He saw limited action in the first few games of 2024, and by Week 5, he was starting and playing most of the game.  

In his freshman season, Leonard Moore tallied 42 tackles, had 7 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. He also earned a reputation as one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs in the sport.

Moore made a smart decision when he took Freeman up on his offer and chose to play at Notre Dame. Freeman and Mickens also made a smart decision in how they made their final pitch.

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