Despite a disappointing end to the season, which saw the Oregon Ducks get drowned by Ohio State’s power in the Rose Bowl, head coach Dan Lanning’s team had the season of a lifetime in 2024. They finished the season undefeated, 13-0, before meeting the Buckeye buzzsaw.
Now, the Ducks replace quarterback Dillon Gabriel with Dante Moore, and expectations are high for the former UCLA Bruin.
Joel Klatt Thinks Dante Moore Can Bring Oregon to the Promised Land
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt thinks Moore could be the key to the Ducks unlocking the next step, ranking them No. 4 in his preseason top-25.
“At number four—we’re getting into some high-level teams here—Oregon,” Klatt said. “I believe in Dante Moore. We forgot about Dante Moore. I’m just telling you right now, I believe in Dante Moore. This was a highly recruited guy that went to UCLA and played for Chip Kelly and played as a true freshman. Now, he was playing behind a really bad offensive line and there was a start in particular and some snaps in particular that he took in Rice-Eccles Stadium against Utah on the road when that Utah defense was fierce.”
Moore, who went 3-2 as a starter for UCLA in 2023, threw for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions before being benched for Ethan Garbers. He transferred to Oregon, where he spent a redshirt year behind Gabriel. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
“It didn’t go well for him. They went in a different direction. He transferred and he sat behind Dillon Gabriel last year at Oregon and now he’s gonna get his shot. I think he, Dante Moore, is a darkhorse Heisman candidate,” Klatt said. “Watch out for Dante Moore. He was a huge recruit and I think he is a good fit for Will Stein‘s offense — the offensive coordinator up there. He’s gonna have Evan Stewart back. The five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore could be this year’s freshman star wide receiver like we saw last year with Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams.”
And while some offensive pieces are still young, the Ducks have hit the transfer portal and returned plenty of talent to balance youth with experience.
“Lanning has a pipeline of talent just year after year coming through those doors in Eugene. They’ve got the number one transfer portal class by average player ranking,” Klatt said. “A guy that I really love and is a Lanning-style player for that defense, Dillon Thieneman comes in from Purdue. This is a good player, folks. Watch out for the running back Makhi Hughes, comes in from Tulane. This is gonna be a damn good team,” Klatt said.
KEEP READING: 2025 Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 Power Rankings
“And remember now, no one’s talking about them since they got bounced so early in the Playoff and their first Playoff game by the way, that Rose Bowl. They were undefeated. Number one in the country. They had that one terrible outing against Ohio State. You think that this offseason hasn’t had some urgency around it in Eugene? I know it has. I know it has. So, watch out for Oregon.”
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