Breaking Down Elite Quarterback Dante Moore
There is no more important prospect remaining on the board for Notre Dame in the 2023 class than quarterback Dante Moore. We have been talking about Moore for over a year, and the film breakdown shows you why he’s such an outstanding prospect.
DANTE MOORE FILM ROOM
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
High School: Martin Luther King Jr. High School
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
IB Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 5.0
Let's talk about Moore's game.
SIZE-FRAME-STRENGTH — There are only two areas where Moore doesn't grade out as elite, and his size is one area. Don't get me wrong, Moore has all the size and the frame he needs to be an elite quarterback, especially in the modern game. He's listed at 6-2, which is plenty tall enough in any era, but even more so in the modern game.
Moore doesn't have the same developed frame of some other top quarterbacks from past seasons. He's still on the thin side and hasn't really developed the kind of weight room strength/size that he'll have once he gets into college. His focus seems to have been on his game, which is smart, because there is plenty of time for him to fill out his frame.
As Moore fills out his frame you'll see him not only get a jump on his arm strength (see below), but he'll become an even more sturdy player in the pocket.
ARM STRENGTH — The part of Moore's game that I think is most underrated is his arm strength. Part of the issue, in my view, is how he's used in high school. Moore is used primarily to attack teams with the quick game, and he isn't allowed to attack down the field as much as I'd personally like to see. He is also an extremely effortless thrower, and those two realities mask just how strong his arm is.
I love how the ball jumps out of Moore's hand, and it's only going to get better as he develops more weight room strength in his upper and lower bodies.
When given the opportunity Moore thrives in the two areas that arm strength is most important - the deep ball and the ability to power throws down the field and to the perimeter of the defense.
His deep ball is a thing of beauty. His release is effortless and the ball gets up and down in a hurry, dropping over the defense and into the arms of his receivers with impressive accuracy. I've seen him hit a back shoulder throw on a line that went about 40 yards down the field. If he needed to there is no doubt that Moore could easily get the ball over 50 yards as part of a play-action package.
Where Moore's arm strength really shines is being able to attack the middle of the field and the seams with zip and accuracy. Even more important is the fact he doesn't need to wind up or really drive off his back foot to create the RPMs or power needed to hit these throws with ease.
MECHANICS — Moore has outstanding mechanics. He's a poised passer with an extremely quick release and an easily repeatable delivery. No matter what situation Moore finds himself, whether he's at the top of his drop, he's stepping into the pocket or he's on the run, Moore is able to get the ball out quickly and with authority.
Moore can lengthen his delivery when he needs to and he can effective change arm speed when needed, and his accuracy never takes a hit in either situation.
I'm impressed with his ability (foot quickness, footwork) to always have his feet in position to throw, he keeps a great base throughout his drop and into his throwing motion, and when he is forced or chooses to move he's able to quickly beat the blitz or fire off a RPO throw.
Part of what makes him an effective thrower is the consistency of his release point. Moore is able to throw the ball with different arm angles and in the face of pressure, but in each instance his release point is clean and pure. He also shows much-needed accuracy and the ability to throw the ball with good velocity on the run.
ACCURACY/INTANGIBLES — Moore is an extremely accurate quarterback that has completed over 70% of his passes for his entire career. When you consider Moore started going all the way back to his freshman season it makes his numbers even more impressive.
Moore didn't earn an elite grade for his accuracy because of his completion percentage, he earned it due to his impeccable understanding of where to put the ball and his ball placement as a thrower. This where Moore's feel for the game makes him such a dangerous weapon.
The King quarterback has top-notch instincts as a passer. His anticipation and willingness/ability to throw receivers open is advanced for his age. As his arm strength gets even better you'll see this become an even greater weapon.
Even in high school you can see Moore making pre-snap reads, going through post-snap progressions and not only getting the ball out on time, but when he needs to (against pressure, for example) he can get the ball out early and throw it where he knows the receiver is going.
Throughout his career Moore also showed himself to be an a winner, which means he is often at his best in the biggest moments, and when he has to put his team on his shoulders and lead them to victory he can, no matter the magnitude of the game. Those traits are just as important, if not more so, than his physical tools.
POCKET PRESENCE — Moore shows a great feel for handling pressure, and as I discussed above his footwork and ability to quickly get off throws makes him a difficult quarterback to blitz.
His pocket footwork allows him to get away from pressures effectively at the high school level, but there are aspects to this that can and should get better. Primarily I'm referring to being able to avoid hits and then step into the pocket while keeping his eyes on his read.
There have been a couple of times on film where he didn't see a blind side rush coming.
ATHLETIC SKILLS-RUNNING ABILITY — Moore is a quality athlete that can run but he's in no way a runner. He is more of an athletic pocket passer that uses his athleticism to extend plays long enough for his arm to make a play. His ability to throw with accuracy and power on the run makes him dangerous in these off-script situations.
I don't care that Moore isn't much of a runner at this point, but I would like to see him embrace this a bit more moving forward. He's athletic enough to pull the ball and get around the edge on read zones and to run the occasional power-read type of play.
If he can step into the pocket and take off as a chain mover a bit more I think that only adds to his value as a quarterback.
I'm not asking for Moore to become a dual-threat quarterback, because that's not his game. I'm simply looking for him to be more willing to use his athleticism as a way to take some of the pressure off the run game, and doing so also takes some of the pressure off the pass game.
MOORE GRADES
Size/Frame/Toughness: 83
Arm Strength: 90
Mechanics: 95
Accuracy: 94
Pocket Presence: 93
Athleticism/Running: 77
Intangibles: 95
GRADE KEY
90-100 – Elite
80-89 – Very Good to Outstanding
70-79 – Solid to Above Average
60-69 – Below Average to Average
50-59 – Poor
OVERALL/UPSIDE GRADE KEY
5.0 – Elite (Top 25 Caliber Player)
4.5 – Outstanding (Top 50 Caliber Player)
4.0 – Very Good (Top 250 Caliber Player)
3.5 – Above Average (Top 350 Caliber Player)
3.0 – Solid (Top 500 Caliber Player or Lower)
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