Ready to report: Riley Moss
With one of the top 110 meter hurdle times in the country, Riley Moss has been turning heads on the track this spring, but next month it will be back to football as he makes the move to Iowa City to get ready to play for the Hawkeyes. This week, we caught up with the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Moss to talk about his impressive track season, what the plan is coming in at Iowa this year, and much more.
Q: When do you make the move to Iowa City this summer?
MOSS: I’ll move in the 9th of June.
Q: What are you looking forward to in starting workouts with the team?
MOSS: I’m excited to be on a strict routine in terms of conditioning, lifting, and food consumption.
Q: Can you kind of go through how it works with your freshman year? Are you a walk-on for one semester and then on scholarship in January 2019?
MOSS: I’m basically a walk-on, but with a scholarship type of status, and then I’ll officially go on scholarship in January.
Q: What will it mean to you to walk out of the tunnel at Kinnick Stadium for the first time?
MOSS: It will be insane. I’ve dreamt about it since I was five years old. I’d get chills as a kid watching them walk out to “Back in Black” so being able to live it will be unbelievable.
Q: When you look back at everything, what was it about Iowa that made it the right place for you?
MOSS: The people, the coaches, and the atmosphere. It’s also my dream school, so it wasn’t a hard decision when they came looking for me.
Q: This spring, you have the 8th fastest time (13.85 seconds) in the country in the 110 meter hurdles. What do you think has been the biggest difference in improving your times this season?
MOSS: I’m going to be honest - I haven’t done anything different in training. I think it’s because I’ve gotten faster over the winter months and that’s contributed to my times falling so dramatically.
Q: Have college track coaches tried reaching out to you this spring or any thought on trying both sports at Iowa?
MOSS: Not one school has reached out, and Iowa hasn’t asked me to do both, so I’m cool with just playing football. Doing track and football would be a lot on my plate.
Q: What position does Iowa have you coming in at this summer?
MOSS: Coach Parker mentioned safety, but right now I think it’s open between safety and cornerback.
Q: Lastly, have you found out what number you are wearing at Iowa and what is your updated height and weight?
MOSS: I have not found out what number I’ll be wearing. It’s not my biggest concern at the moment. I’m 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Originally a North Dakota State commit, Moss flipped to Iowa on December 3, 2017 after the Hawkeyes offered a grayshirt opportunity. Other scholarship offers for the Ankeny native included Northern Illinois, North Dakota, and South Dakota State.
As a senior, Moss finished last season with 31 tackles and one interception.
See highlights from Moss' senior year at Ankeny Centennial in the video below.