Oregon's Dakorien Moore sends 2-word message to SMU's 4-star TE on committing to Mustangs over Texas and Miami

Four-star tight end Zachery Turner committed to the SMU Mustangs football program on Saturday. Other notable programs like Texas, Miami and Oklahoma were also vying for the 2026 prospect's commitment. But Turner went with coach Rhett Lashlee's program.

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore responded to an Instagram post of the news with a two-word message:

"Crib talk"

To many, an Oregon Ducks player congratulating someone joining an ACC program may seem a bit odd. However, Moore and Turner go way back.

They are both from Duncanville, Texas. They attended the same high school, where they played on the same team for the last three seasons. In this period, Moore became the standout wide reciever and one of the best in the state of Texas. His 1,460 yards and 19 touchdowns helped the team make the state semi-finals.

Turner was also able to put up some good numbers. He recorded 933 yards and 16 touchdowns.

So it's pretty clear why Moore was so excited about Turner joining SMU.

Why did Zachery Turner choose SMU?

Zachery Turner had many offers from numerous top programs, like the Texas Longhorns, Miami Hurricanes and even the Oregon Ducks. In the end, he chose SMU, a Texas based ACC program that surprised everyone during the 2024 season, making the conference championship (where they lost to Clemson) and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Turner said the following to On3 about opting for the Mustangs:

“They’re nice, they got a solid coaching staff...I like that you can see the difference in SMU, the way they play and all... It stands out a lot because they have some Duncanville players up there."

Turner will not be alone at SMU with numerous players from his high school also attending the university. This Duncanville to SMU pipeline is not surprising when you consider the fact that the two institutions are only 25 minutes apart.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Edited by Satagni Sikder