Whether you're a player, coach, fan or analyst, there is one thing we all have in common: despising when injuries rob us of seeing greatness from football's elite. That’s exactly what happened last year with Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore. After being named a first-team All-American and winning the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player in college football) as a true freshman in 2018, Moore came back in 2019 and looked like he would have an even bigger year. Then he suffered an injury in Week 5 that knocked him out the rest of the season.
We must not forget about the damage Moore did in 2018, however.
The prestigious Heisman Award has basically become a quarterback’s award to win — and rightfully so — and there are truly only a few non-quarterbacks who have the potential to enter the discussion during the 2020 season. With a clean bill of health, Rondale Moore is without question among those non-quarterbacks who have a chance to win the Heisman.
[Editor's Note: PFF EDGE and ELITE subscribers have access to the new player grades experience. Subscribe to PFF EDGE or ELITE today to gain access!]
Moore’s 2018 true freshman campaign was clearly special. He finished the season with an 89.7 receiving grade — which tied for sixth among FBS wide receivers — and was the second-most-valuable wide receiver in college football in regard to PFF’s Wins Above Average (WAA). In fact, it was the second-best season we have ever recorded by a non-quarterback true freshman:
Most valuable season by a non-QB true freshman in the PFF College era (since 2014)
| Player, school, year | WAA |
| 1. CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU (2019) | 1.01 |
| 2. WR Rondale Moore, Purdue (2018) | 0.68 |
| 3. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama (2018) | 0.67 |
DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32
Unlimited Fantasy League Sync
Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire
WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools
Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks
PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools
NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades
Already have a subscription? Log In
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.