The Oregon Ducks had a perfect regular season in 2024. They won all their games; hell, they even beat Ohio State in a thriller and then Penn State to clinch the Big10 Championship and earned a bye in the playoffs. You would expect that the team would go on and win it all. However, that’s not how things unfolded. Was Dan Lanning just unlucky that they had to face Ohio State that early in the playoffs? Or do they need to do more in the 2025 season?

How would you improve on a season whose only negative highlight was the Ohio State rematch? What else could Oregon do to seek the highest glory in college football? Surely, there are some holes in their roster after the season ended, and they would need to rectify that in order to make a winning squad for the 2025 season. The job will start in their quarterback room.

This is because their star man and their soul in the offense, Dillon Gabriel, went to the NFL draft to seek pastures anew. He amassed a total of 3,857 passing yards at a stellar 72.9% completion rate. We also saw some of the rushing potential the QB had as he also rushed for 149 yards and scored 7 touchdowns through it. How could they replace such a stalwart dual-threat quarterback?

Well, then came Dante Moore in the picture. A 2024 season transfer from UCLA who featured in 4 games and was always looking to fill in the place of Gabriel. His UCLA season in 2023 showed glimpses of what he can do as he accumulated 1,610 yards for a 53.5% completion rate. But it seems even he, in the 2024 season, was learning from Gabriel and improving himself, as he revealed in a recent interview.

Poll of the day

Poll 1 of 5

Is Dan Lanning's $66 million contract extension the right move for the Oregon Ducks?

Absolutely, he's the future

No, it's too much money

Only time will tell

Not sure

Is Will Howard's poor Combine performance a sign of his true abilities or just a bad day?

True abilities exposed

Just a bad day

Combine doesn't matter

Not sure

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Will Scottie Scheffler cement his legacy by winning The Players Championship 2025 and joining Jack Nicklaus in the history books?

Yes, he's unstoppable

No, too much competition

It's possible, but tough

Not sure

Is CW's handling of NASCAR broadcasts ruining the fan experience?

Yes, it's a disaster

No, it's just growing pains

It's the local affiliates' fault

I don't watch NASCAR

Is Bruce Pearl to blame for Auburn's recent struggles?

Yes, his coaching is lacking

No, it's the players' fault

Both are responsible

It's just bad luck

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“Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. I mean, me and Dillon for sure, when we were there pushing each other in the weight room, on the field. I mean, we used to room together on game days in the hotel room, so we used to watch films in there, we used to laugh, talk joke around about stories, you know. He’ll call people just to have a good time; so, I mean, the biggest thing for me and what he told me is, you know, he gave me the keys; he’s like, hey man, be who you are; be a player; be the person you were in Detroit. I had confidence and the swagger, so I’m going to keep that going. I’m blessed to be able to learn from him, for sure.”

Well, Dante Moore, apart from his 2023 season at UCLA, had a stellar season in his high school days at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit. He accumulated 2491 passing yards at a 68.9% pass completion rate. The future looks bright for the player, and with the guidance of Dillon himself, Moore will surely reach the heights that Dillon Gabriel reached when he was at Oregon.

Dan Lanning’s contract extension: a right move?

We all know the role Dan Lanning played in Oregon over the years. He was the 2nd coach to achieve 35 wins in his first three season in the history of college football. Add to that Oregon achieving a No. 1 FBS ranking for the first time in 14 years. This achievement has led Oregon to extend Lanning’s contract with a bumper pay increase.

Lanning has now signed an extension that will see him earning $11 million annually till the year 2030. This is quite an increase from his previous $8.2 million contract per year. JD Pickell of On3 explained why it was the best move Oregon could have made. “I would remind you, the year before, A&M—he shuts that down. I don’t know if that was actually anything that was real, but he just says, ‘I’m not taking the A&M job.’ Alabama doesn’t allow that to have any legs either when that job becomes available when Nick Saban retires. ? How many times have you been what people would label a stepping-stone job? Mario Cristobal does well at Oregon, goes to Miami. . Willie Taggart leaves for Florida State. Chip Kelly then leaves for the NFL.”

The man is right. Oregon, by extending his contract that will see him earn close to $66 million, has made a statement. That is, Lanning is untouchable by any other team, and he will be there at the helm for the long term to seek greater glory.