College football’s most underrated defensive backs for 2022
By Eric Finney
2. Riley Moss, Iowa
The in-state product has been building a legendary reputation in Iowa City for the last four years of his career. Choosing a walk-on opportunity at Iowa over a scholarship opportunity at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, Moss came to the Hawkeyes with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Everest. The state of Iowa’s all-time 100-meter high-hurdle record holder entered the program with the athletic profile to compete from Day 1 and that is exactly what he did.
Moss started 6 games as a true freshman and exploded onto the scene with a two-interception game vs. Minnesota in the fifth game of the year. He has gone on to be a mainstay in the Hawkeye secondary, coached by one of the best secondary coaches in the country in Phil Parker; his 2022 season in Iowa City is expected to be fearsome.
The reigning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten selection, and All-American by several publications experienced his most prolific season to date as he posted the stat line of 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, four interceptions, nine pass breakups, and two touchdowns. Moss spurned the NFL after the 2021 season, as he even accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, but decided he had more work to do regarding his NFL draft positioning.
Riley is a master of Coach Parker’s scheme in Iowa City and displays a savviness on the field that accurately has him labeled as a “ballhawk.” Here is the recipe for disaster for quarterbacks when throwing to Moss’ side of the field: staring down wide receivers, throwing the ball late, or lofting the ball high into the air has resulted in 10 career interceptions for him.
He excels in playing off coverage, whether it is Cover 3, Cover 2, or Cover 4, and having vision on the quarterback to occupy his zone fluently. His speed jumps off the tape as he seamlessly covers ground running downfield and showcases elite ball skills to finish tough catches in the air. Most importantly, Riley comes up with timely plays that create huge momentum shifts for the Hawkeyes. When he gets the ball in his hands, he looks to create offense and put points on the board.
For example, his two-interception, two touchdown game vs Indiana during the 2021 season made Kinnick stadium explode like Golden State Warriors fans when Steph Curry hits a three-point shot from the logo. As with many cornerbacks in a zone-heavy scheme, Moss needs to grow in his ability to play press man coverage.
NFL evaluators will want to see him take the next step in his game and prove he can play press-man at the next level to assure that he is a true outside cornerback. He checks all the boxes in his ability to play all of the zone coverages, but there have been evaluators that question if a position switch to safety or nickel is in his future. Regardless of the projection that is associated with the NFL, college football fans should look at Moss as he will be fighting for his respect once again this fall.