Who knew Gaston Moore had this in him? The former Hilton Head star has been a pleasant surprise this season. He started as a walk-on at UCF but has developed into a reliable backup quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. At 6’2 and 182 pounds, Moore offers a dual-threat option and provides a lot of stability ‘behind’ Vols QB1 Nico Iamaleava. At least this is what coach Joey Halzle thinks! Ask Moore, he must be trying to get rid of that ‘B’ word like that one toxic ex. He is a competitor, after all.

Before committing to the Vols back in 2021, he played for Josh Heupel and his staff at UCF during the 2020 season. Moore’s high school numbers speak volumes about his services. He threw for 2,016 yards and made 20 touchdowns with just four interceptions as a Hilton Head High School senior. Yeah, we know probably less than your recess time stats. Right? Well, perhaps. He might not have Heisman-worthy numbers at present, but according to Volvs OC Joey Halzle, “He’s a guy that knows it inside and out, from the run game to the RPO game, to the shot game, to anything that we’re doing. He can operate efficiently with the tempo.” The Sideline strategist has invested a lot of trust in Gaston.

The Vols QB2’s 2023 junior year record includes a second appearance of the season in a homecoming win over UConn (11/4), completing 4-of-7 passes for 36 yards while leading the Vols on a fourth-quarter scoring drive. He saw action in the Citrus Bowl win vs. No. 17 Iowa (1/1), throwing one pass and rushing it twice for 7 yards.

Thereafter, the Hilton Head native entered the 2024 season with a bang. Moore completed 7-of-12 passes for a career-high 69 yards with one interception in the season opener vs. Chattanooga. He then went on to make a significant impact in his 10th career appearance, leading the team to a victory over NC State in Week 2. Meanwhile, the Volvs continued the strong performance, resulting in impressive wins against Kent State and Oklahoma.

Now, with a four-game winning streak, the Vols are in a solid position heading into their matchup against Arkansas on October 5th. And let’s just say Moore has been a star both on and off the field for them!

Gaston Moore plays a bigger role off the field

Moore has appeared in eight games over the last three seasons with the Vols, completing 10 of 17 passes for 72 yards. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown, yet. Also, hasn’t been intercepted once. But the role he plays off the field dwarfs his minimal on-field resume — in the meeting room, watching the film, on the sideline, and even sharing his experience with the Rookies.

Gaston Moore played a significant role in helping the redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava, the former five-star prospect and No. 1 overall recruit in the country settle down. He has been a crutch to lean on since he arrived in Tennessee in December 2022. The Vols QB1 wasn’t shy in giving Moore his flowers. “Gaston helped me get a great grasp of the offense when I first got here,” Iamaleava said. Such big brotherly vibes.

He has sat through so many meetings and so many film sessions that he is almost like an extension of the coaching staff. Praise again came from his coach in the form of, “He’s a better athlete than people give him credit for,” highlighting his physical strength during one of the spring games where he drove the football for 40, 50 yards posts down the field. Well, a great coach-player relation at display right there.

The backup QB might have gotten more playing time and attention if he were on a different team. But no worries! He still has a bright future ahead of him, especially if he decides to go pro. What do you think?

Till then, if you want to explore concepts like NIL and NFL you can check on the latest episode of the Think Tank podcast.