While Oregon Football remains in the Pac-12 for the moment, quarterback Dante Moore did not let the pending move to the Big Ten get in the way of his decision to commit to Dan Lanning and the Ducks.
In Moore, a 5-star recruit out of Detroit, Michigan, Lanning has the highest-rated recruit in his brief time as head coach without even having coached a live game. Recruiting has been the priority for Lanning in Eugene, arriving following his stint leading the record-breaking Georgia defense to a national championship.
Lanning first had to keep the current players in place, and he did a solid job of that. Seven McGee was one player who quickly reversed course on his chance to depart after speaking with Lanning.
We learned that as the Spring Game approached that McGee was adjusting to becoming a wide receiver for Oregon Football this fall and now can fit into multiple positions as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
Moore is a pro-style quarterback, as noted by some, which means he can carve his own path as to what he wants to be with Oregon football. He follows in a long line of players with similar talents like Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert. Moore comes to Eugene from Michigan, where he was heavily recruited by Jim Harbaugh from the Wolverines among others.
Right now, Oregon has two quarterbacks in Bo Nix and Ty Thompson, along with Jay Butterfield for the upcoming season. Nix, for the most part, set his spot as the Ducks’ top quarterback during his performance in the Spring Game, but next month’s fall camp will give both Thompson and Butterfield an opportunity.
Dante Moore comes into the perfect situation next season to learn and also possibly see some playing time. The redshirt rules that are in place will ensure that he will not use up a season of eligibility by simply stepping on the field during a game.
With Moore committing to the Ducks, it now paves the way for more top talents to possibly give Oregon under Dan Lanning a look. Moore had offers from several schools including Texas A&M, LSU, and Miami. He also had Notre Dame at the top of his list during recruitment.
Dante Moore is the Ducks’ highest-rated recruit ever according to USA Today. He unseated Ty Thompson when he made his commitment. I expect that Bo Nix may depart after the 2022 season with Oregon for the NFL. If he does, the Ducks will be in great hands with an experienced Thompson and an incoming future star in Moore.
What is the most amazing part of this is that Lanning has set his team up for success from the top position on offense for years to come. Not bad for a coach who is supposed to be defensive-minded.
Oregon enters the 2022 season in good shape at quarterback and will open the 2022 season on the road against Georgia on Saturday, September 5th at 12:30 pm Pacific Time on ABC.
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