Kenny Moore from St. Mary’s of Stockton has had big outings against Central Catholic of Modesto since he was a freshman. Photo: Isai Gutierrez / Cal-Hi Sports.
St. Mary’s of Stockton standout receiver-kick returner Kenny Moore III draws comparisons to some of the city’s top wideouts ever, including Lincoln’s Brandin Cooks. He remains committed to UCLA despite the recent coaching change. We talked to him recently about his family, his weekly routines and his goals for the future outside of sports.
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From the contact camp challenge his father set for him at age six to his commitment to UCLA as one of the top receivers in the Class of 2026, Kenneth Moore III from St. Mary’s High in Stockton has built his career on discipline, family values, and his explosive athletic ability. With goals of earning his degree, chasing records, and eventually reaching the next level, he’s the type of player Bruins’ fans will be excited to see sprinting down the Rose Bowl sidelines in the years to come. Kenny has remained committed to UCLA despite the recent head coaching change but we talked to him for this feature a few days before that change was made.
Family and Early Passion
When asked about his biggest influence, Moore doesn’t hesitate. “My dad has been my biggest influence in football,” he said. “He was my first coach and trainer, and he taught me to work hard from before I started playing until now. He reminds me to respect the game, play hard, play fast but to always remember to have fun. And that is how I try and approach every game.”
His father, Kenny Moore Jr., has been telling us about St. Mary’s athletes years before his sons began playing there since he has been a track coach at St. Mary’s and for other youth programs in the Stockton area.
It all started at the young age of six, following the path of his brothers, Dewey Cotton, who later played at Sacramento State, and DuMaurier Cotton, who both starred at St. Mary’s, along with his father, who played at Washington State. His dad made him prove his toughness from the start.
“He put me in a contact camp at St. Mary’s and told me if I could make it through a practice without wanting to give up, quit or cry, he would let me play. I made it through the whole week, and I think that is where my true love for the game started.”
It was the first step to success and a journey that mixed his family’s love for sports with his own goals. Moore’s brother Dewey went on to play at Sacramento State, and his younger sisters are already excelling in soccer.
Rise at St. Mary’s
Moore played as a freshman at St. Mary’s in the 2022 season and in his first game he had four catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-7 win against Central Catholic of Modesto. That was the season, though, that every St. Mary’s player on that team will remember for the rest of their lives since the Rams got a 45-35 win over legendary program De La Salle of Concord (the only time DLS has ever lost to the Rams and one of just a handful of times in 30 years that DLS has lost to any NorCal opponent).
By his sophomore year, Moore had already established himself as a playmaker who could hurt defenses in multiple ways. He caught 56 passes for 986 yards and seven touchdowns while piling up nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and contributing on special teams with more than 20 returns. His junior season brought more of the same, with 47 catches for 840 yards and 10 scores through the air, plus 541 rushing yards, five more touchdowns, and 18 returns.
“My biggest strength is my speed and what I can do with the football in my hands,” he said. “Whether I catch passes, or get handoffs or returns, I feel like I can score whenever I get the ball because of my speed and elusiveness.”
That speed comes straight from track, where Moore has been competing since he was five years old. “It helps with acceleration and top-end speed,” he explained. “Also, my conditioning during the football season is there. Speed kills and the best way to get speed is by running track.”
St. Mary’s head coach Tony Franks, who has been in that role for the Rams from 1984-1986 and since 2002 to the present and is one of the winningest head coaches in Northern California, praised Kenneth for his talent and commitment.
“I don’t think we ever had four-year starter before him, and we might not ever have another,” he said. “He’s a unique, one of a kind talent, but the best part is that he’s a St. Mary’s kid. He and his family are tried and true to the school and they are an integral part of the community.”
Moore makes a leap toward end zone during game earlier this year. Photo: Isai Gutierrez.
Work Behind the Scenes
What everyone sees on Friday nights is only a fraction of Moore’s daily grind. During the season, mornings often begin before sunrise for him. “I see my strength coach at 5 a.m. twice a week,” he said. “Besides school, we have weights and film right after school, and I have weekly film study with my dad on Wednesdays after practice.”
Game days follow a routine that helps him stay grounded. “After school, I go to lunch with some of my teammates, then we come back to school for Mass and then team dinner. After that, I normally just try to lock in and focus while listening to music.”
Even when the season ends, Moore doesn’t slow down. “After football, I had track, and I see my strength coach five days a week at 5 a.m. Over the summer, I still lift, and my dad trains me and my two little sisters on the track, and we also do field work with the Jugs Machine.”
That preparation has already paid off in the recruiting world. His first offer came as a freshman from Oregon State, a moment he’ll never forget. “Coach Woz called my dad and we all talked on the phone,” Moore recalled. “He told me Coach Smith wanted to talk to me, and he offered me. My dad and I hugged and shed a tear. It was a pretty special moment. When I told the rest of my family, they were all so happy for me.”
Kenneth Moore was wearing UCLA gloves earlier this season. Photo: Isai Gutierrez / Cal-Hi Sports.
Commitment to UCLA
Dozens of offers followed, but Moore has found he fits best at UCLA. “I had a lot of great schools and coaches recruiting me,” he said. “When I met Coach Frazier at the Sac State camp, he told me that he really liked me and wanted me to come down to meet everyone at the UCLA camp. I had a good camp and Coach Foster offered me there and he told me they were going to recruit me really hard but make me feel like part of a family. And even though there have been changes there, that never changed. I also have an opportunity to play early. Plus, it is a dream to play in the Rose Bowl and in the Big Ten. I have a big family, and it is close enough for them to get to my games.”
A big piece of comfort also comes from knowing he’ll have familiar faces around him. A notable face is Jadyn Marshall, a former St. Mary’s star who was one of the top all-purpose athletes in Northern California before signing with UCLA, where he now contributes as a receiver and return man.
“I have known Jadyn all my life. My dad coached his older brothers. I grew up watching him play and he was a great player at Saint Mary’s,” Moore said. “Since I’ve been in high school, when he would come home for breaks, we would work out at St. Mary’s together. He tells me college is a lot of hard work, but he knows I can do it. It is going to be really cool to finally be teammates when I get there in January”
Moore also pointed out other connections that will help with the transition. Kanye Clark is a longtime friend from youth track. Rico Flores Jr., another Northern California standout who starred at Folsom and began his college career at Notre Dame before transferring to UCLA, has been a workout partner since their younger days. And Jewelous “JuJu” Walls, one of Northern California’s top defensive prospects last season at Pittsburg, has also become a close friend and supporter. Note: The plans of those other players after the coaching change at UCLA may have changed.
Goals, Academics, and Life Off the Field
Moore is clear about what he wants to accomplish at UCLA. “The main thing is to get my degree,” he said. “Both my parents have degrees and taught me getting my degree is an expectation. On the field, I want to be the very best player I can be. I want to be able to break records at UCLA and win a lot of games. And my ultimate goal is to play at the next level.”
While he has mentioned sports management as a potential major in other interviews nothing is set so far, Moore says academics come before everything else. “Academics are important in my family,” he stressed.
Away from football, Moore describes himself as laid back. He enjoys time with friends and family, video games, and especially RC cars. “My dad got me my first car during COVID and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
Speed is obviously very important for Kenneth Moore whether he is playing, training and even as a hobby.
Isai Gutierrez started an internship at CalHiSports.com in January of 2025 and is a student at Modesto Junior College. He graduated in 2024 from Sierra High in Manteca.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
