Former 5-star QB Dante Moore expected to enter transfer portal after one year at UCLA
I’m not sure that things went as planned for Dante Moore, the former 5-star quarterback who flipped from the Oregon Ducks to the UCLA Bruins a year ago.
After one season in Los Angeles under Chip Kelly, Dante played sparingly, and he struggled when on the field, clearly indicating that he might not be ready to be a start at a major program just yet. After that one season, it has been reported by 247Sports that Moore is expected to enter the transfer portal and leave UCLA this offseason when the portal opens on Monday.
In 9 games played this year, Moore completed 114-of-213 passes for 1,610 yards, 11 TDs, and 9 INTs. Going into his freshman year, Moore was rated by 247Sports as the No. 4 overall player in the nation, and the No. 3 QB in the 2023 class.
For a long time, Moore was committed to Oregon after having developed a great relationship with offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. Once Dillingham took the head coaching job at Arizona State, however, Moore announced that he would be flipping his commitment to UCLA.
There are some people who will undoubtedly draw a conclusion that Moore will now end up transferring to an Oregon team that will likely be in the market for a QB this offseason. Bo Nix is leaving for the NFL, and while Ty Thompson is set to compete for the starting job, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Ducks bring in a transfer.
I don’t think Moore will be that guy, personally. Oregon has two young QBs coming as part of the 2024 recruiting class — 4-star Michael Van Buren and 3-star Luke Moga — as well as 4-star Austin Novosad from the 2023 class. If they are to take a passer from the portal, it will likely be an experienced veteran who can help them win now, rather than a promising young player who still has to prove that he can excel at this level.
The portal officially opens up on Monday, December 4.
