It only took one game for Garrett Lucas to realize he had a budding star when he took over as Delran High School’s football coach before the start of the 2018 season.
Before the first game, he approached four-star athlete R.J. Moten about a position change on offense. Moten, a 2020 Michigan commit, had started at receiver his first two years on varsity, but Lucas felt his broad skill set wasn't being fully utilized at the position.
Lucas wanted to move him to running back, and Moten obliged, albeit hesitantly at first. But after rushing for a 68-yard touchdown down the left sideline in his first game, Moten was all smiles.
"He turned to me right away and said, 'I think this running back thing is going to work out,'" Lucas said. "I started laughing."
Moten didn't need to make any adjustment on defense. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety anchored the team's secondary for the third straight year, helping New Jersey-based Delran finish 8-2 -- the program's best finish in years.
He finished the season with about 1,300 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, 400 receiving yards and a couple of pick-sixes, ascending into one of the top NCAA Division I prospects in the state. He only had offers from Rutgers and Buffalo after his sophomore season but had more than a dozen from some of the country’s premier programs before committing to Michigan on July 27.
Moten is the No. 25 safety in the country and the No. 8 overall player in New Jersey, according to the 247Sports Composite ratings.
"He is a blessing for a coach and he is a nightmare for a defensive or offensive coordinator, depending on who he is going up against," Lucas said. "He is pretty unique, because when I came into the picture, he was used as a slot receiver. In high school football, it is hard to touch the ball a lot at that position.
"When I got in there, I told him I am going to convert him to a running back. I'm like, 'The way you run, the way you can cut, the way you can shift, it is going to be good for you."
Moten's athleticism also translates to the baseball diamond. He is a standout centerfielder for Delran, tracking down fly balls as if he was covering a speedy receiver on a deep route.
He batted over .400 with five home runs and 32 stolen bases last season. The dual-sport athlete will play baseball at Michigan as well -- a major point of emphasis during his recruiting.
"A couple SEC schools wanted me to play just football, because that is the SEC," said Moten, a centerfielder. "Two-sports stuff isn't really as big there like in the Big Ten or Pac-12. I haven't really thought about it. I have just been doing both my whole life, and I feel like if I stopped, I would feel a little weird or incomplete."
RJ Moten (14) of Delran bats during the baseball game between Bordentown and Delran at Bordentown High School in Bordentown, NJ on 5-9-19. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance MediaScott Faytok | For NJ Advance Me
Moten’s proficiency in both sports has led to some people close to the team dubbing him the “Bo Jackson of South Jersey.”
Moten's father, Ron Moten, played against Jackson when he was a linebacker at Florida in the 1980s. He quickly told his son that he has a lot more to accomplish before he can be mentioned in the same sentence as Jackson.
"I stopped him in his tracks right then and there," Ron Moten said. "I'm a proud dad and R.J. has been blessed with talent that a lot of kids don't have. And he works his tail off. Dedication and motivation is not something I need to stress with R.J., but this is what I told him, 'It is good that people can say that, but dad played against Bo Jackson, and trust me, you are no (expletive) Bo Jackson."
Nevertheless, Ron Moten and Lucas believe R.J. Moten has the tools to excel in both sports. Lucas has designed more packages this season to maximize his potential on offense, whether that is in the backfield, in the slot or behind center in a wildcat formation. He also completed 7 of 13 passes for 150 yards and two scores in 2018.
Lucas said Moten's best attribute is his physicality, whether that is running over a defender or delivering a big hit from the safety position.
"I think he is the No. 1 athlete in the state of New Jersey," Lucas said. "What makes him so attractive to bigger schools is his physique. I can't tell you about the amount of schools that came in and -- you see him on film and then you see him in person -- they take a look and his quads are massive. You see veins popping out.
"You try and tackle that thing with him driving through you, it is going to be hard. I really think he is going to fit well at Michigan for that viper position (linebacker/safety hybrid). I can't wait to see how he does. The sky is the limit for that young man."
Michigan 'felt like home'
Michigan's baseball team captivated Ann Arbor in June with its unlikely run to the College World Series final. Many in New Jersey had little interest in the Wolverines' championship series against Tennessee-based Vanderbilt, but R.J. Moten was acutely tuned in to every game.
He had just visited campus and already had Michigan pegged as his top school, but the Wolverines' NCAA postseason run, after being one of the last four teams into the tournament, helped seal his decision.
"I felt like home on the campus," he said. "The coaching staffs were genuine with my parent, and I am allowed to play baseball. Their baseball team making it to the championship, I was following them the whole way."
R.J. Moten will not be the only one to play both sports at Michigan. Three-star freshman linebacker Joey Velazquez also will be an outfielder and pitcher on the baseball team next spring.
"I think he is just as good at baseball in my opinion," said Ron Moten, who also played baseball until his sophomore year in high school. "The problem is he is a part-time baseball player. The older you get, the competition. gets a little more stiff. He has been blessed with talent, but there are kids who are playing year-round."
R.J. Moten understands playing both sports will be tough, but he's up for the challenge.
"I am used to it," he said. "I have been doing both since I could walk. I will be fine."
R.J. Moten said he plans to follow in his father's footsteps and study criminal justice at Michigan. Ron Moten recently retired after more than 20 years in law enforcement, most recently as the Camden County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives.
"That wasn't a surprise to me," Ron Moten said. "When we started this (recruiting) process about a year ago, you start looking at these schools and you have to make sure they offer what you want to major in. He said he wanted to work in law enforcement.
"I said, 'That's good, but if I can just give you some advice, pursue at the federal level. Try to go to the FBI, CIA, Secret Service.'"
In the meantime, Ron Moten is going to continue to enjoy watching his son on the field and on the diamond.
"I have been telling R.J. for the past three years in high school to continue to work hard, continue to do the things that got you to this point," Ron Moten said. "He was a starter as a freshman. I said to keep working hard and we will see what happens. We were fortunate enough to go through this recruiting process. You have all these schools recruiting you, but don't forget where you came from, always remain humble.
“As a parent, I am extremely happy for R.J. I am excited, but I know there are thousands of parents across this country that wish their kids had the same opportunity.”