Although it was the conclusion most had already come to, Oregon football has its starting quarterback.
After a competition through the summer and fall camp, Dante Moore will start for the Ducks in their season opener.
“Former top-five overall recruit Dante Moore will be Oregon’s starting quarterback, sources tell @CBSSports,” Matt Zenitz posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Had been the expected outcome but Dan Lanning never officially named a starter. It will in fact be Moore, who transferred to the Ducks from UCLA.”
Former top-five overall recruit Dante Moore will be Oregon’s starting quarterback, sources tell @CBSSports.
Had been the expected outcome but Dan Lanning never officially named a starter. It will in fact be Moore, who transferred to the Ducks from UCLA. pic.twitter.com/tijm2UPMSK
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 30, 2025
Moore, as a true freshman, started five games and played in nine for the Bruins in 2023. He expectedly struggled adjusting to the college game, completing just 53.5% of his passes and throwing for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Shortly after the season, Moore announced he would be entering the transfer portal.
Landing at Oregon, Moore mostly sat and watched in 2024 as Dillon Gabriel took the Ducks to a Big Ten championship, an undefeated regular season, and the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team playoff. The Ducks, however, would lose in the quarterfinals to Ohio State.
With Gabriel having exhausted his eligibility, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning knew he would have to start someone new at quarterback. Moore and redshirt sophomore Austin Novosad competed for the job, and although Novosad was said to have had strong moments during the spring, Lanning has evidently opted for the former five-star in Moore.
Regardless of who starts at QB, though, there are great expectations for them and the Oregon football program. Coming off a 13-1 season and a conference title in their first year in the Big Ten, the Ducks are ranked seventh in the nation to start the 2025 season.
Oregon opens its season today vs. one of the best teams in the FCS, Montana State. Next week, the Ducks will host Oklahoma State before beginning Big Ten play on Sept. 13 with a road trip to Evanston, where they'll face Northwestern.
