I’ve been hearing worry from some Oregon fans about the Ducks turning to Dante Moore to quarterback the 2025-2026 football campaign. They commonly cite his 11-to-9 touchdown-to-interception rate and 53.5% completion percentage at UCLA as reasons for concern.
Others point to his negative rushing yardage and say he can’t run like former Oregon greats Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, or Dillon Gabriel, and because of that, the sky is most certainly falling.
I get it. I understand. I just don’t agree.
That doesn’t mean I am critical of their lament, and I would certainly never belittle their furrowed brows or sweaty palms. Not at all. I consider myself a person of compassion, and it is for that reason that I say, here’s a biscuit and a hug.
Why am I convinced that Dante Moore will succeed at Oregon?
The Bruin mirage
Those statistics above are real. Moore did, in fact, throw nine interceptions compared to 11 touchdowns in his freshman year of 2023.
But keep in mind that he was trying to function behind one of the worst pass-blocking offensive lines in all of FBS. Check this out: The 2023 offensive line at UCLA gave up MORE than one sack for every 10 quarterback pass attempts!
Moore was scrambling just to save himself. No wonder he wanted out.
His plight was compounded by an offensive scheme that incorrectly predicted it could continue a long-ball passing attack, like the one it had enjoyed with four-year starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
There was no way that was going to work because his receivers were too slow to get downfield and the trench-bullies up front couldn’t block anyone.
Coming to Oregon will change that.
Last season, the Duck offensive line gave up less than half as many sacks and, as the experts acknowledge, Oregon has the long-ball receivers who can get downfield fast.
Big arm
When he is given time, Dante Moore can hit long-ball targets. Even as a high schooler in Detroit, Michigan, scouts recognized that Moore had a strong arm. That was a primary factor in scouting services giving him a five-star ranking as a senior.
Better on his feet
I’m not about to suggest that Moore is a dynamic runner, but he is certainly better than the negative yardage he posted at UCLA. Bushels of sacks cloud the measure of any quarterback’s ability to scramble.
Moore is not as dual-threat in the manner of the three Duck quarterbacks who have preceded him, but he will produce positive results on the ground.
How do I know that?
Because he excelled at it in high school and achieved a similar success last year (averaging six yards per carry), Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is a master at training quarterbacks to recognize run opportunities. Stein is so good that I suspect I might even get a yard or two.
Moore won’t be prolific or dynamic, but he will be an effective runner who will extend possessions with his feet.
Maturity
From the time he left high school until he graduated from UCLA, Dante’s message has remained consistent. His choice of programs isn’t about NIL or big paychecks. It’s about one thing: Development.
Earlier this year, he explained to OregonLive why he left the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Among his comments, he said, “Deep down inside there, I was like ‘I don’t know if I am going to be able to get developed as best as I could.’ ”
Despite setbacks at UCLA, offensive players respected 18-year-old Moore as their leader.
Moore has something that his predecessors, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, didn’t have. He had one full year on the bench to learn the Stein system and to implement it in measured opportunities. That one year to grow and learn will prove itself in September.
As Essentially Sports reported three weeks ago, “Under the bright lights in Eugene, he (Moore) isn’t just stepping up—he’s taking charge. Patience didn’t just pay off; it built a quarterback.”
Moore is grateful to be at Oregon and the developmental opportunity it offers.
Gratefulness and maturity aren’t static traits. They are dynamic and revealed in their actions, as seen in Moore’s recent $10,000 donation to his former high school.
The quarterback position is much about leadership and maturity, and Moore has plenty of both.
Raise a Stein to success
Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is a big reason why Moore is now a Duck. Quarterbacks love the Stein offensive scheme because it is loaded with opportunities and options.
It was the Stein system that vaulted Bo Nix into the stardom that we all knew he had (read more here) after a dismal couple of years at Auburn. Nix always had the talent. It was Stein who brought it out.
It was the Stein system that pushed Dillon Gabriel to astounding success as a passer last year.
Before coming to Oregon, it was the Stein system that converted UTSA’s Frank Harris from an average quarterback to one who posted such stunning results that he grabbed the attention of the national media.
Last year, Oregon was one of the deadliest teams in the red zone in America. That should come as no surprise, as even in Stein’s first year as an offensive coordinator at UTSA, his system was 90% effective in scoring in the red zone. Quarterbacks love that.
Maturity behind center is a great asset for teams in the red zone, and just like Frank Harris at UTSA, Dante Moore at Oregon has it. In fact, they are so similar in maturity and leadership that the content of their speech is barely distinguishable.
Moore will flourish in the red zone.
Injury projection
A common concern I’ve heard is that Moore was nagged by injuries while at UCLA.
But under the Stein system, how many games have Oregon quarterbacks missed because of injuries?
At UTSA, Frank Harris had ten surgeries by his junior season. Then, Will Stein became UTSA’s offensive coordinator, and for the first time in his college career, Harris played an entire season.
That doesn’t mean Moore will be invulnerable to injury, but it does imply that the odds of such are much less at Oregon than they were at UCLA.
Others agree …
I’m not the only previewer who is convinced of Moore’s star-sparkled future. None other than Athlon Sports had this to say:
“This isn’t modifying your (play) book for a guy you get out of the portal; it’s a talented, developed player who already knows your system. I think that will show early on this season.”
I suppose I should exercise more caution in projecting Moore’s success. After all, Moore has yet to prove himself, so maybe I’m wrong.
While I can’t be totally certain of that, I am totally certain of this: Those of you with biscuits and furrowed brows need to let your palms dry.
Nobody likes soggy biscuits.
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