Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning will miss the services of Derrick Harmon in the upcoming season since the defensive tackle was drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Harmon was a breakout star for Oregon last season, leading the team to an unbeaten record in the regular season. He was named to the second-team All-Big Ten team and received second-team Associated Press All-American honors as well.
Now that he’s gone, college football insider Josh Pate shed light on who could be the Ducks’ next breakout star who could help the program replicate last year’s regular-season success. After mulling over a couple of options, Pate thinks Dakorien Moore, the top-ranked receiver in the 2025 class, could be the perfect man to have a great season in 2025.
“I got Dakorien Moore circled and that’s a wide receiver, a five-star guy from the 2025 class. I think he can make an immediate impact,” Pate said (4:01). “Makai Hughes, I would also accept him at running back. I would accept that name. I almost said him. But Traeshon Holden is gone. Tez Johnson’s gone. Evan Stewart is hurt. He’s probably not going to start the season. I don’t know when we’re going to see him.
“So Dakorien Moore, he’s good enough. They’ve got to press him into duty, probably early. I think they will. I think he has breakout potential.”
Dakorien Moore is a 5-star wide receiver from Duncanville (TX). He was initially committed to LSU but in the end he signed with the Oregon Ducks.
Dan Lanning’s potential breakout star Dakorien Moore receives praise from analysts
Last year, true freshman wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Ryan Williams of Alabama took the league by storm. This year, this could be Dakorien Moore, according to Max Chadwick of PFF.
“This past season was the year of the true freshmen, especially at wide receiver, as Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams both dominated immediately. The easy top candidate to continue that trend at the position is Moore,” Chadwick said.
The Ducks’ top receiver, Evan Stewart, is on an uncertain timeline due to a patellar tendon injury, opening the doors for Moore to become the leading receiver of one of the top Big Ten programs in the country.
In ESPN’s preseason poll by the coaches, Oregon’s offense is touted as top-10 in the country. It remains to be seen if Moore can live upto such lofty expectations in 2025.
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