How shiny and new will Dante Moore look after a year in the Will Stein car wash?

Will Stein runs a quarterback-friendly offense in which passers thrive. Three seasons ago the Ducks took Bo Nix off the scrap heap and turned him into a Heisman finalist, and last season they repeated the trick, winning a Big Ten title and 13 games with Dillon Gabriel.

Though Kenny Dillingham started the process in 2022 before becoming head coach at Arizona State, Nix enjoyed the best season of his college career under Stein as an extra-year senior, playing his way into the first round of the NFL draft.

The Will Stein Celebrity Quarterback Rehab has been a smashing success.

Bo Nix, three years at Auburn:

Bo Nix, two years at Oregon:

Source: Sports Reference College Football

While some of Nix's improvement has to be attributed to normal maturation and growth, there's a dramatic difference in his rate of progress from the Auburn years to his junior and senior campaigns at Oregon-- we're looking at a completely different quarterback.

The most significant thing Stein does lies in teaching quarterbacks how to think.

Two weeks ago after practice he talked about Dante Moore's development at Oregon. Stein told reporters, "The biggest growth for him is just to take what the defense gives you."

"If you take what the defense gives you, they'll give you the game every single time. We've won a lot of games here with that mindset at quarterback. That doesn't mean that we don't throw to win or we don't take chances down the field, but being extremely efficient offense is huge, because we stay on the field."

That philosophy, recognizing the easy yards and the high-percentage targets, gets an offense in rhythm and boosts a quarterback's confidence. The Ducks stack successful plays, and that maximizes their chances to break a big one by getting explosive playmakers in space.

In Moore's case, he's had a full year to absorb the system and improve his decision-making and recognition in practice. Working behind Dillon Gabriel he's enjoyed a full year in the lab, an opportunity to remake himself as a quarterback.

Opposing fans have been drooling all over themselves with assumptions that Moore will repeat the errors and inconsistency he displayed as a true freshman at UCLA.

Dante Moore, college stats

With the Bruins Moore played in nine games, starting five behind a bad offensive line in a program that didn't recruit well. At Oregon he's in a more cohesive system with a very solid offensive line, surrounded by talent at wide receiver, tight end and running back.

He's blessed with a strong running game and a solid defense, with four manageable games to establish himself as the starting quarterback on a contending team.

Altogether it's a vastly superior support system. Most significantly, he's had a full year to focus on improving decision-making, technique, understanding of the offense and film study.

On Wednesday Moore told Tyson Alger of Lookout Eugene-Springfield and the reporter pool, “My preparation this year is going to be (through) the roof. Having Dillon (Gabriel) last year and seeing how he prepared and put our team in great positions, I feel like I learned a lot from him.



“Of course, every quarterback can throw the ball. Everybody can make the right check. But I just feel like the preparation and understanding of what the defense is going to bring in the game — I feel like my separation is my preparation.”

Thinking Moore will simply repeat the errors and inconsistency of his true freshman season is utterly stupid. Of the Big Ten's young quarterbacks, he's in the best position to succeed.