CLEVELAND, Ohio — Mississippi wide receiver Elijah Moore was selected by the New York Jets with the No. 34 overall pick.
According to NFL.com, Moore was a four-star recruit from famed St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale before signing with Ole Miss. It did not take long for him to become a factor in the Rebels’ offense, starting four of 12 games as a true freshman (36 receptions, 398 yards, 11.1 average, two touchdowns) and also contributing as a returner (12 kick returns, 222 yards, 18.5 average; 10 punt returns, 34 yards, 3.4 average).
Moore led the team in receiving in 2019, grabbing 67 passes for 850 yards (12.7 per) and six scores. He also returned 14 punts for 90 yards (6.4 per) but might have been best known for infamously celebrating his touchdown catch with just four seconds remaining catch against rival Mississippi State by mimicking a urinating dog in the end zone. His celebration drew a 15-yard personal foul penalty, which pushed back an extra point attempt that was no good and allowed MSU to win the annual Egg Bowl by one point.
Moore made national headlines for the right reasons in 2020, leading the FBS with 10.8 receptions and 149.1 receiving yards per game. He set a school record with 86 receptions (breaking current Tennessee Titans receiver A.J. Brown’s record) for 1,193 yards and eight scores. Moore also rushed for 64 yards on 14 attempts (4.6 per) in his eight starts on his way to first-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-SEC and Biletnikoff Award finalist honors. He opted out of the remainder of the season after eight games.
