Every quarterback wants to be the primary game caller until they are filling up shoes for a name like Dillon Gabriel and his 30 TDs and third Heisman finish. In his first and only season with the Oregon Ducks, he brought in a Big Ten Championship for the first-seed Ducks in the College Football Playoff. But if the next man up is the former 5-star recruit Dante Moore, is it a possibility that Dan Lanning can keep Oregon in the championship conversation? Well, at least another player from the roster going into the NFL believes so.

“He’ll be a Heisman finalist next year. 100%. Next year,” Tez Johnson did not limit his praise for the UCLA transfer before the Rose Bowl as he compared Moore to NBA’s Stephen Curry. If you’re wondering why, it was the 20-year-old’s “No-look, 60-yard bomb” which shocked the entire roster. And although he has only made four appearances with the Ducks and no start in his previous season, he is already on the hype train. 

While everyone is all praises for the junior QB, the history of Ducks begs to differ. You see, the Ducks QBs from Jeremiah Masoli to Marcus Mariota and even Bo Nix and Dillon, all managed to be dual threats as making a run for it came easy. But now, with pocket passers like Moore or even Austin Novosad, this might change. And with no option left for Lanning, there’s still that big old question mark floating over Moore’s head. Can he actually be that guy for Oregon?

On March 29, Oregon insiders Jason Piacelli and his co-host from the ROC Boys Football podcast weren’t tiptoeing around it. Showing hope for a brighter future, Piacelli said, “What excites me the most about Dante Moore is that the ceiling with this Oregon offense, with Dante Moore at the helm, is, in my opinion, infinitely higher than it was with Dillon Gabriel.” Even his co-host agreed, in fact, only added.

“Now, there might not be a bigger Dante Moore fan than me. I think, like, you like Dante Moore—I think I like him quite a bit more than you. I am very willing to overlook some of the mistakes he made as a freshman because, again, we’ve talked about it—UCLA was horrible around him.”

And there’s no lies here. Moore’s freshman year at UCLA was a rollercoaster. Nine games, five starts, 1,610 yards, 11 TDs, 9 picks. But the raw talent? No doubt. That 290-yard, three-TD game against San Diego State was pure nastiness. But the problem was staying consistent. His O-line? Might as well have been rolling out the red carpet for defenders with a weak run game. Moreover, outside of Sturdivant, nothing to write home about when it came to weapons around him.

Now, we have seen that Moore doesn’t run as much, but he does have a strong arm. And all Lanning and OC Will Stein will be looking for is some passing game and the ability to win. But there’s one elephant in the room.

As the co-host pointed out, “The one question for Dante Moore is– Is his athleticism maybe up another level? Because that did feel like a bit of a liability. I’m not saying he needs to go in and be Michael Vic necessarily, but you gotta be a serviceable athlete from that quarterback spot, that’s gonna be what I’m looking for. Has he developed as an athlete? Again, he’s not gonna be a runner but can he be a guy who at least can avoid some of the sacks? You can be a playmaker.”

And that’s exactly what Oregon needs this time around. Over the past two years, we have only seen short or intermediate passing from the Ducks. But now, with receivers like Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore around and Dante, or possibly Austin, using their arms to deliver elite dimes out of the pocket can open the field for the players. But then again, how successfully can he escape pressure and make plays outside the pocket, or is he a sitting duck? (pun intended)

Can Dante Moore be that guy at quarterback and make things happen when the play breaks down? That’s exactly what Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel brought to Oregon—escaping pressure, rolling out, dropping dimes off-platform, and turning busted plays into big gains. Moore’s got the arm, no doubt, but can he add that extra layer of playmaking to keep the Ducks’ offense humming? For Stein, he is looking for a player with the winning mentality.

“That’s the ultimate thing I’m looking for, who can we win with? Hopefully we’ve got a good amount of guys in that room who can win. We all know that there is going to be one guy out there on Saturdays and that’s all to be determined.”

Can Dan Lanning’s bold twin move keep Dante Moore cooking at QB?

Dan Lanning isn’t just rolling the dice on Moore and hoping for the best. He went full chess master, making sure his young QB is stacked with weapons. Enter five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore and the return of Evan Stewart. J.D. PicKell broke it down. “One of those guys they’re excited about? True freshman Dakorien Moore. What I’ve been told is ‘Moore to Moore’ is going to be a thing this fall.”

Dakorien Moore is him. Five-star talent, elite route-running, and speed that’ll make DBs rethink life choices. He hasn’t played a college snap yet, but people are already calling him the next big thing at WR.

And then there’s Evan Stewart. Some folks were sleeping on him after an ‘alright’ 2024 season—48 catches, 613 yards, 5 TDs. But Lanning saw the bigger picture. “In addition to Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart is back,” PicKell added. “Having Evan Stewart in his more natural position as a slot receiver is going to allow him to do what he does best—which is find his matchup, find some space, catch, and get north and south.”

With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden off to the league, Stewart is WR1. And this time? He’s playing in his natural slot position, where he’s straight-up lethal. And a point to be noted is– Stewart’s a problem when he’s healthy.

He balled out against Ohio State—149 yards, 7 catches—but missed the Rose Bowl with a back injury. Now? He’s WR1, ready to eat. But let’s keep it real—Moore’s still got to prove he can make magic happen when things break down. Oregon’s O-line is solid, the run game is set, and his receivers are straight-up killers. But can he make plays when the pocket collapses? Can he be the QB when it’s 3rd & 9 with a blitz coming for his soul? That’s what’s going to separate Dante Moore from being a solid QB or a star.

The Ducks are betting big on Moore, and Lanning’s making sure he’s got all the tools to thrive. But come Week 1, all that talk won’t matter. Either he balls out, or the Ducks might find themselves missing Dillon Gabriel more than they ever thought they would.