The emergence of the quarterback position has been supreme in Eugene. Under Dan Lanning, the Ducks have been the subject of prestigious quarterback play. Over the past three years, Oregon has seen two Heisman finalists playing the position. Now, the Ducks enter an eerie future overcome by the thought, “Who’s next?”
His name is Dante Moore.
Not so often in college football does a top program worry about the biggest position on the field. However, the past few years have produced an overwhelming spike of efficiency at the quarterback position. After producing NFL-caliber quarterbacks, the Ducks will turn to a young fellow with not much experience.
As a unit, Oregon has welcomed a new batch of replacements for their NFL-hopefuls. Behind the scenes, Lanning and company have planted a seed that is promising to sprout in 2025. Dante Moore transferred to Oregon in 2024 after starting as a freshman at UCLA; now, his transfer is ready to pay off.
The primary reason for Moore’s transfer was to learn behind the veteran that was Dillon Gabriel and embrace the system of Dan Lanning. In his first year at UCLA, Moore passed for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions with a 53.5% completion rate. It was a tough start, to say the least, but if one thing is for sure, it’s the fact that Moore understands his game.
It’s not easy to come into any Power 5 school and start as a freshman. Through the hills and valleys, Dante Moore confronted himself with a mature approach. It was simply unrealistic for Moore to come into Oregon and start, and that wasn’t the point. Moore oversaw the entire process of necessary development for him to exceed his baseline performance at UCLA.
At the ripe age of 19, Moore seasoned himself with a pinch of the Dan Lanning scheme and was broiled under the leadership of Dillon Gabriel and even Bo Nix, who came before him. Now, his number is finally set to be called. Will all the studying pay off?
“Me and Dillon for sure was pushing each other in the weight room, on the field, I mean, we used to room together on gamedays in the hotel room,” Moore said on the Ducks of a Feather podcast. “We used to watch film in there, laugh, talk, joke around about stories… when he gave me the keys he’s like ‘hey man be who you are, be a player, be the person you was in Detroit.”
For one, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein has a favorable track record for Moore to follow. In what was a highly explosive offense last season, Oregon will look to follow a similar blueprint in pursuit of scoring massive amounts. The Ducks will bring back senior wideout Evan Stewart as well as transfers Malik Benson and Gary Bryant to help fill Moore’s supporting cast.
Aside from all the intangibles, Moore also presents the tangibles that a good quarterback might possess. In an alternative way from Dillon Gabriel, Moore stands 6’3”, weighing 210 lbs. So yes, he does not lack any physical traits.
It might take Moore a bit of time to become acclimated to the new spotlight. Luckily, there is some reprieve room between Oregon’s opening game against Montana State and their fifth game in late September against Penn State—which will likely be Moore’s biggest test.
Currently, Dante Moore holds the sixth-best odds to win the Heisman at +1800. To say Moore has sky-high expectations would be an understatement. It’s almost unfair to put a young man under such a microscope. However, Moore’s ability to seize the moment might be the deciding factor in how his second story shapes out.
This is a new era of Oregon football, and the keys are now in the hands of Dante Moore.