Oregon’s grand plan at quarterback is coming together with Dante Moore

Oregon's projected starter hasn't been named QB1 yet, but that hasn't stopped Moore from carrying himself like it.

EUGENE — For all the talk and expectations, it’s important to know that the player at the heart of the 2025 Oregon Ducks hype train is just 19 years old.

Granted, Dante Moore is not your typical teenager.

For one, Moore has been at the heart of Oregon discussions for nearly half a decade, ever since the former No. 4 overall recruit initially committed to the Ducks back in 2022 as a five-star out of Detroit.

And he’s lived a few football lives since then. He decommited from Oregon that December, signed with UCLA, started five games for the Bruins as a true freshman, wrote a book, entered the portal, recommitted to Oregon and joined a Ducks’ roster as a bit of a unicorn in the modern college football world: Moore, a blue-chip with dozens of suitors, signed up for a role with no guaranteed playing time.

From the Oregon perspective, it was a heist. In an era where programs struggle to plan for the future, the Ducks brought in Moore and Dillon Gabriel at the same time — one a seasoned vet with one year left of eligibility, and the other as a high-ceiling youngster who could fill two roles: He could be the best backup quarterback the Ducks have ever had, while also pencilling in as Oregon’s starter for 2025 and beyond.

Though when you talk with Moore, that’s not exactly how he saw things when he arrived in Eugene last year.