Ever since he was a little kid, University of Utah running back Zack Moss knew he wanted to play football. He has played for 12 years now and along the way, Moss gave up basketball to pursue his career in football. He wasn’t a full-time running back until midway through high school when he made the switch from linebacker.
Although Moss is enjoying his time at the U, he never considered it in the beginning. He went to high school in Hallandale Beach, Florida, and received offers from Appalachian State, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of Miami and University of Tennessee. After seeing his potential to thrive in the Pac-12, Moss committed to Utah.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley and wide receiver Demari Simpkins are two offensive players who also went to Hallandale High School with Moss. Moss initially committed to the University of Miami, but Huntley and Simpkins convinced him otherwise, saying that Utah is a great place to be. When he visited the Salt Lake City U, Moss had positive feelings about Kyle Whittingham’s offensive program, more so that Utah’s offense was similar to what his high school team ran.
Moss’s advice to kids aspiring to be football players at the Division I level is to always work hard and continue to fine-tune their skills. At Utah, the football program holds daily practices, training regimens and schoolwork sessions. Moss emphasized that dedication, consistency and focusing on academics are keys to success.
It wasn’t an easy road to become a starter in a major conference like the Pac-12. In high school, Moss worked on his speed and techniques every day to be a successful running back, and he does his best to stay confident and motivated.
His favorite memory was his junior year of high school when he scored his first touchdown as a running back.
“I enjoy being on offense and the dynamic of being with a group of guys,” Moss said. “We all want to achieve the same goal of scoring points and touchdowns for the team.”
Moss believes he is the man today because of the Utes who push him to become a better person and player. With all the hard work the team has put in during the spring, he hopes Utah can win the Pac-12 Championship and qualify for a top-tier bowl game.
After Joe Williams and NFL running back Devontae Booker graduated, Moss had big shoes to fill, but he has continued to prove himself on the field.
Last year, Moss rushed for 1,173 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. In 2016 season, he only finished with 382 yards, but that’s partly due to the fact that he was injured.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham has been impressed with Moss’s performance in spring camp and is looking forward to what he will bring to the field during the fall season.
“Zack Moss has been very good for us this spring,” Whittingham said. “He hasn’t had a lot of live reps by design and holding out live work, but he’s a guy that has rushed over 1,000 yards for us last spring. We know what his capabilities are and we expect him to be our leading running back this fall.”
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