The surest sign Dante Moore is the next great Oregon quarterback

Duck fans love their quarterbacks, so much so that they become recognizable by one name. Joey. Bo. DD. Justin. Musgrave. Akili. DT. Holy ravioli, is that my boy Masoli? Danny. MM. Dillon. Kellen. Big-play VA. Fouts.

Oregon quarterbacks have style, panache and flair. So it's not a surprise that when Beats By Dre chooses nine players to represent their product in 2025, one of them is the next great quarterback at Oregon.

We've danced around this topic for eight months. The coaches are careful to speak of "open competition" and "the quarterback room" but everybody from Yogi Roth to Josh Pate to the guy on the internet with 300 followers can see that Dante Moore is the guy, and an examination of a handful of throws reveals how special he can be.

Moore has the talent to make Autzen Stadium reach all 127 decibels of joy and amazement.

When Corporate America invests in your quarterback, it's time to pay attention. In 2024 the Beats By Dre ad campaign featured Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Caleb Downs and Jaxson Dart. In 2023 it featured Sanders, Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, Michigan national champion and first-round draft pick JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix and Cade Klubnik, Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks.

The Beats By Dre campaign is a partnership with Learfield, which allows the brand to use team logos. It pays the athletes involved with a mix of cash and merchandise, and the athletes they chose have to have social media followings that exceed 4.2 million followers.

This year's group has NIL valuations that range between $1.5 and $4.3 million dollars. It includes Heisman candidates, first-round draft picks, All-Americans and up-and-coming stars.

The full list:

• Alabama WR Ryan Williams
• Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
• Michigan QB Bryce Underwood
• Georgia RB Nate Frazier
• Texas EDGE Colin Simmons
• Oregon QB Dante Moore
• Florida QB DJ Lagway
• Oklahoma QB John Mateer
• South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers

If Moore were only hype, his part of the campaign would be a flop and an embarrassment. But there's substance behind the flash.

Tuesday after practice Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein said, "What I saw when I turned on the tape like, 'WOW' throws. My god, like, dang, that was a ball. When those kept showing up on the completions, some corner routes or scramble throws, this guy's got elite arm talent."

"He's so humble. He's willing to learn. He's a great blend of like, Bo, football IQ and Dillon, just can grab it, can pull everybody together, which is really unique and special."

"He wears five, got a glove on his left hand, he does remind me a lot of Teddy," Stein said, referring to Teddy Bridgewater the quarterback the Oregon OC played behind at Louisville.

Reporters asked Moore Tuesday what separated him as a quarterback.

Host of the "Ducks Rising" film room Geoff Schwartz gives Moore high marks for arm strength, ball placement and coverage recognition. He also gives him some areas to improve at 23:45.

Will Stein's contribution to his development will be in teaching him to take what the defense gives him, helping him improve his decision-making and be more selective about the shots he takes.

As Schwartz points out, as a true freshman at UCLA Moore made errors, particularly early in the game, by relying too much on what he expected to see from the defense, rather than recognizing and reacting to the disguises and baiting defensive backs posed in the heat of the game.

An elite standard of preparation will separate Moore from the errors of the past, taking him from good to great.

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