With addition of Dante Moore, Ducks have built one of best QB rooms in the nation
For the entirety of his career, Dan Lanning has been seen as a defensive guy. He played linebacker in high school and college and coached on the defensive side of the ball until ultimately becoming a defensive-minded head coach at Oregon.
He seems to have a pretty deft touch when it comes to curating the quarterback position, though.
Since Lanning came to Oregon in December of 2021, the Ducks’ have made a point to recruit the QB spot at a high level, whether that be in the high school or college transfer portal ranks. From landing Bo Nix out of the portal early in his tenure to securing commitments from guys like Akili Smith Jr. or Dillon Gabriel, getting high-profile QBs to come to Eugene has never been a problem. That fact was stated once again on Monday night when former UCLA QB Dante Moore announced his transfer to the Ducks.
Moore, a former 5-star QB, was committed to Oregon a year ago but flipped to UCLA late in the process. After a frustrating freshman season, he ultimately found his way back to Eugene, in order to get developed and see his career take off. This will likely take place in 2024 after a season backing up Gabriel, which is the presumed outcome of a spring QB battle in Eugene.
Now, with the two of them in the fold, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Ducks will have one of the best QB rooms in the nation going forward. After years of grabbing transfer portal passers in order to keep the ship afloat, from Dakota Prukop to Anthony Brown, Oregon can truly develop what they have and trust the process going forward.
Here is a look at the QBs on the roster, their outlook when it comes to future playing time, and some potential names to know in the recruiting world going forward as well.
Dillon Gabriel
Career Stats: 50 Games | 14,865 yards, 125 TD, 26 INT
Playing Time Outlook: It feels pretty safe to say that Dillon Gabriel is the presumed starter for the Ducks going into 20245. While there will be a QB competition in spring, Gabriel is a 6th-year player who is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy next year.
Gabriel was among the top available QBs in the portal this offseason and should fit seamlessly in Will Stein’s offense, picking up where Bo Nix left off without a hitch.
Dante Moore
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 9 Games | 1,610 yards, 11 TD, 9 INT
Playing Time Outlook: Dante Moore definitely could see some playing time in 2024, but it doesn’t feel likely that he beats out Gabriel for the starting job. That isn’t a deal-breaker, though, as Moore transferred to the Ducks knowing that a year as the backup was likely before taking over in 2025.
Meanwhile, this means that Oregon has one of the best backup QBs the nation, and it would give fans comfort knowing that in the instance that Gabriel ever has to leave the game, they can feel confident giving the ball to the next guy on the depth chart.
Austin Novosad
Career Stats: 2 Games | 14 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Playing Time Outlook: It feels like freshman Austin Novosad is likely going to suffer the same fate that many other college quarterbacks have in this new era of college football, and one that Ty Thompson finally came to grips with this offseason. While Novosad came to Eugene as a blue-chip recruit, the Ducks have used the transfer portal to jump him on the depth chart, leaving him in a position where he has to compete with objectively more talented players for playing time.
The harsh reality of it all is that I expect Novosad to likely transfer away from the Ducks, whether it be this offseason or next, because I don’t see a clear path to playing time for him in Eugene.
Luke Moga
Photo Courtesy of Luke Moga
Recruiting Profile: 3-star (No. 33 QB in 2024)
Playing Time Outlook: Luke Moga certainly won’t see the field in 2024, and he has an up-hill battle going forward as well. With both Dante Moore and Austin Novosad ahead of him on the depth chart, Moga also will have to deal with the players committed behind him, which is currently 2025 QB Akili Smith Jr.
Moga has made it very well known that he plans to work hard and compete with whoever is in his way in Eugene, so I don’t expect him to go running any time soon.
Akili Smith Jr.
Photo Courtesy of Akili Smith Jr.
Recruiting Profile: 4-star (No. 6 QB in 2025)
Analysis: Akili Smith Jr. is a legacy player for Oregon, obviously, with his dad standing as one of the fan-favorite Duck legends to this day. If you’re looking at highly-touted QBs to lead the Ducks, Akili Smith Jr. makes sense as the next one to step up behind Moore, as well. In an Oregon fan’s perfect world, you likely see Gabriel in 2024, Moore for a year or two in 2025-2026, and then Smith Jr. in the years after that.
Name to Watch: Bryce Underwood
Recruiting Profile: 5-star (No. 1 QB in 2025)
Analysis: Though the Ducks have a commitment from Akili Smith Jr. in the 2025 class, they have continued to recruit Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 overall player in that cycle. Underwood likes the Ducks as well, naming them as one of his top schools just a month ago. We will see how this progresses as he narrows his recruitment down, but it is certainly a name to keep an eye on.
