photo by: Carter Gaskins/Special to the Journal-World

Free State's Parker Moore (8) attempts to tackle Olathe North's Aiden Bruce (7) Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Free State High School.

Playing for coaches Aaron Bohl and Jay Sawvel has brought good things for linebackers at the University of Wyoming over the past few years, so when Free State linebacker Parker Moore got an offer from the school, he couldn’t turn it down.

The rising senior and defensive leader for the Free State Firebirds defense will continue his football career in Laramie, Wyoming, at what Moore called a “linebacker U.”

Bohl was a defensive graduate assistant for most of Cincinnati Bengals’ $36 million linebacker Logan Wilson’s career at Wyoming. Bohl moved up to be Wilson’s positional coach in the final year of college when Wilson had 105 total tackles and four interceptions, making him a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Chad Muma’s second year at Wyoming was the first year with Bohl as the linebackers coach. He played under Sawvel as the defensive coordinator for his final two years of college, and Muma became a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after a 142-tackle season his senior year.

A Group of Five school rarely gets the moniker of a “position U,” but Wyoming has made a strong case over the past few years. With more success following Wilson and Muma in potential NFL draftee Shae Suiaunoa, Wyoming is a place where Moore knows he can develop into a top-level talent.

“That’s definitely what I was looking for, somewhere that’s going to develop me,” Moore said. “They’ve produced in these past 10 years a bunch of really good linebackers, especially with coach Bohl there… just trusting that he’s going to develop me as a player. You want to go somewhere that’s going to maximize your ability.”

Moore first spoke with Bohl in the summer when Bohl visited Free State. Bohl told Moore that he and Sawvel would be at a Nebraska football camp and that the camp was an opportunity to earn an offer. Moore made it there, and it only took a couple of days before he officially earned a scholarship.

“I took the opportunity and made the most of it,” Moore said. “Coach Sawvel, Coach Bohl, and the entire coaching staff were there, which was the really cool part. Coach Sawvel was the one who actually extended an offer.”

It wasn’t until late July that Moore finally made the trip to the city sometimes called “Laradise.” There, he toured the athletics facilities, met some team members and caught up with Jack Harvey, a Baldwin City native and walk-on linebacker whom Moore knows. He fell in love with the school and the culture around Wyoming football. With it being the only four-year university in the state, few schools can match the level of clout the Pokes pull in Wyoming. He’s known that for a while, considering his grandmother lives in Torrington, Wyoming, a two-hour drive from Laramie.

“My dad’s entire family is from there, so that was huge for me,” Moore said. “I haven’t seen my grandma in probably eight years, but I saw her on the visit (I) just went on.”

Aside from Wyoming, Moore previously announced on social media that he had offers from Air Force, South Dakota State University, Indiana State and Missouri Southern State among other FCS schools. However, the fact that Wyoming was an FBS school competing in a strong Mountain West conference stood out.

Moore considers himself a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, and the Free State coaching staff has taken advantage of that skill. Moore moves all around the defense, playing outside linebacker, where he sometimes lines up in zone coverage in the slot or with a hand in the dirt on the defensive line. Moore is a natural fit as a zone coverage linebacker. He reads plays well and has enough speed to stop a play before it gets past the line of scrimmage. Those skills are what made him a strong recruit.

Moore must work hard to maintain his speed as he bulks up. He said he wants to improve his 40-yard dash to a low-4.5-second range, and that’ll be his top priority for individual development over the next year.

Before his move to Laramie, Moore has one final season left with the Firebirds. The team has improved dramatically through the first three years, going from a one-win team his freshman year to 7-3 last year. He’s hoping to finish his Free State career with another team improvement led by the defense.

“I’m excited. I’ve played with these guys my whole life,” Moore said. “I think the bond that the team has is second to none. There’s a brotherhood on this team that’s better than it has ever been. We’ve come a long way, worked extremely hard, and I think it’s going to show off and be a fun year.”

photo by: Landon Cory/Special to the Journal-World

Free State linebacker Parker Moore tackles Manhattan ball carrier Landon Dobson on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 in Manhattan.