Outside the Huddle and Blitz are counting down who they feel are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2026 season.
Our highest preseason honor, the 8th annual First Eleven, profiles the top players (in the mind of Outside the Huddle) entering the fall.
No. 1: WR/DB Maalik Moore, senior, North Side
When Moore burst onto the scene as a freshman as a big-play machine for the Legends, he put himself on the map as someone to watch through his prep career.
All he has done since then is get better and better, and put up numbers.
No player in northeast Indiana impacts the game in all three facets like Moore. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound specimen with scholarship offers from the likes of Indiana, Missouri and Miami (FL), the senior is electrifying on the outside at wideout, has incredible range at safety and is an effective punter.
Moore is practically un-guardable in this area on offense. He has exceptional quickness and twitch that allows him to create separation with what looks like relative ease. With his height he has the advantage over defensive backs, and his ability to high-point the ball makes his catch radius insanely large.
On defense, Moore commands the defense from the back end. He can take half the field out of the equation in the pass game with his coverage skills, and he isn’t afraid to go mix it up in run defense.
A season ago, Moore hauled in 53 catches for 792 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games. On defense, he had four interceptions, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery to go with 34 tackles. He averaged 31 yards per punt and enters 2026 as one of North Side’s top threats in the return game.
Maalik Moore, in our opinion, is the best player in northeast Indiana this season.
COACH’S QUOTE ON MAALIK MOORE
“Maalik Moore is a four-year starter. At receiver, he’s a big-time playmaker who can make a difference every time the ball is in his hands. At safety, he’s a ball hawk, physical and someone we trust to match up with anybody. Then, he turns around and gives us another weapon as a punter. He will be in the return game as well. His versatility, athleticism and ability to impact the game in all three phases makes him extra special!”– North Side coach Ben Johnson
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