Jackson Academy assistant coach Shay Hodge first noticed four-star offensive tackle Caden Moss, back in eighth grade, playing basketball. A big kid, maybe 6-3, 280 in junior high with moves and footwork.
Hodge said to The Rebel Walk, an Ole Miss football recruiting site, “I first saw Caden playing basketball in the 8th grade and I knew immediately if he had any meanness that he would be one of the top players in the country.”
“He showed soft hands, and the skillful moves he was doing showed his athleticism. He wasn’t just a big kid; he is an athlete.”
A left tackle frame, coupled with strong technique, agility and desire
The No. 66 prospect in the class of 2027, Moss has grown to 6-5, 320, a Polynesian Bowl and Under Armour All-American with offers from nearly every top school. In April he cut his list down to five, scheduling official visits to Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, Oregon and Ole Miss.
He makes his official visit to Oregon this weekend, on May 29. He's from Jackson, Mississippi. Home state Ole Miss is a big favorite in his recruitment, 93 percent according to 247Sports. Alabama, Florida and Ohio State pushed hard. Brian Smith of Locked on the Portal said in a dispatch from the Under Armour Next camp in New Orleans, "This is the kind of guy you build your football team around."
He liked how respectful and level-headed Moss was. "I was taking a picture of him and he wanted to be sure I got a picture of his teammates."
The combination of size, technique and agility stands out, even in a clinic setting surrounded by top prospects.
"You can't teach 320 that moves like that." Smith said.
Moss signed with Prestige Management Group in Dallas as a high school sophomore. His approach to his decision is meticulous and thoughtful, planning to announce his commitment in July after the official visits are done.
Enjoyed my time in Oregon 🦆🦆@105CoachTerry @CoachDanLanning @oregonfootball @CoachDDuggan @shayhodge3 @H3_Performance @MacCorleone74 @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @samspiegs @Zach_Berry pic.twitter.com/DQdwYYICKP
— Caden Moss (@Caden__moss) March 16, 2026
After three years in the recruiting spotlight, Moss has a definite focus in the process. He told Billy Tucker of The UC report, "I prioritize stability within the staff. There's instances where a kid signs, that coaching staff gets fired or that particular coach or somebody may leave. A whole new staff comes in. That's just hard to adjust."
"Next I'll say life after football. Football's not guaranteed. I could go wherever and get hurt. What's gonna be set in line so I can be successful after I'm done playing?"
He's thoughtful too about his growth and development. Rebel Walk asked him about technique.
“I’ll say I critique striking my hands more in the pass game.“ Sometimes I tend to lay my hand out there instead of striking through the chest."
“In the run game, I’ll say I lean too much. I try to reach instead of take my steps and striking, and I put my face in it and then the blocks too much sometimes. That’s my biggest critique," he said.
There's more to offensive line play than just being big and violent. “The mental aspect that goes into it. Because from the outside looking in, people that don’t play o-line, they probably just think we just go out there and just block and just throw people around. But you gotta know the different fronts, different formations and defenses. You gotta know when the safety goes down. You gotta know where there’s pressures,” he said.
He's said the decision will come down to relationships, a desire to be around great people and a program that helps him grow both as an athlete and a person.
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