Dan Lanning’s Comments Show Why Dakorien Moore Is Different

Player development has played a key role in making the Oregon Ducks successful during Dan Lanning's coaching tenure. Wide receiver Dakorien Moore, however, has earned ample playing time as a true freshman. Moore started his collegiate career playing like one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten - and the country.

Before No. 3 Oregon’s clash with No. 7 Indiana, Lanning made it clear just how highly he thinks of Dakorien Moore. The coach lauded his freshman quarterback’s leadership and the maturity he’s developed in such a short time. Here is everything Lanning said before the top-10 showdown in Autzen Stadium.

What Lanning Said

oregon ducks dan lanning dakorien moore dante transfer portal big ten nil recruiting college football indiana hoosiers — Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Opening Statement:

“A good day of work today. Still a lot of details to clean up when you have a team that does so much on the other side, so they really present some tough challenges that we had to be prepared for. But our guys have had a good week of practice so far.”

How He’s The Team React To The Idea Of Putting On Blinders:

“I think they've done a good job of I'm saying, hey this is the standard, this is what we expect us to do in certain moments and knowing that we're basing it off what not, not the result but with the process should look like.”

What Stands Out About Dakorien Moore’s Leadership:

“Just the improvement. I think one of the best ways you can lead is continuing to grow, and he's gotten better and better, and he's growing a voice he feels very comfortable speaking in front of the team. Same with what he sees, and I think his plays speak for itself as long as that continues to improve and grow like it has, it's gonna make a huge impact.”

The Presence Wide Receiver Malik Benson Brings:

“I said it to Malik the other day. Man, you recognize him as a really good teammate, right? You see a guy down. He's over there. He's going to make sure he gets him up. You know, see a guy on the ground, he's going to help him up off the ground,” Lanning said.

“He's going to be one of those guys that, regardless of who scores the touchdown, if it's him or somebody else, I mean, he's celebrating that like he just scored. So just, you know, he's a selfless person. He's a really dynamic player for us. It's been nice to have on this team.”

Linebackers And Safeties Staying Disciplined:

“Similar to what I said early in the week that you got to farm your land, you have to do your job, trust the guy next to you to do his and then rally to the ball when it is decided where that ball's going.”

What Gives Him Confidence That Dakorien Moore Can Be One Of the Faces Of The Team:

“I just think that, you know, we have some guys that are in roles where they're helping us early, and want to give, give those guys an opportunity.”

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Dakorien Moore’s Growth:

“Probably just more than anything, the way he deals with adversity, right? You know, you come in and you expect yourself to have a lot of success, and he's done a great job of handling success.”

“I think it's hard when things don't go right, and how he's handled those moments in practice, how it's continued to grow, you know, I think that's huge. And there's a lot of pressure on a guy like him, his status, you know, there's a lot of eyes, and he's been able to handle that pressure really well.”

Indiana Running Back Roman Hemby:

“I think everybody thinks RPO, and they think about the passes. They don't realize that they're a really explosive run team. Those guys have good quickness. They hit the hole, get vertical quickly, and that's certainly what sets everything else up in the run game, is that the run first sets up the RPOs and makes people have a loaded box,” Lanning said.

“So, they've done a really good job running the ball this year. You know, well over 200 yards rushing a game, which is impressive.”

In Game Adjustments:

“Yeah, there'll certainly be something different in this game, and you don't know exactly what that'll be. So, you know, our coaches have done a really good job throughout games this season of IDing the different looks and how we can best defend, or, you know, best attack on offense. And that'll be, that'll be a big piece of this game.”

The Challenge Wide Receiver Elijah Sarratt Presents The Oregon Defensive Backs:

“50-50 balls can’t be 50-50 balls. We have to be able to go compete for those and win on defense, and then vice versa. Same thing on offense. When you get one-on-one, you have to be able to take advantage of it,” he said.

“So they've done a really good job, you know, when they have one-on-one coverage, taking advantage of those guys, and they have big catch radiuses, and they attack the ball.”

How Dante Moore’s Hard Work Impacts The Rest Of The Team:

“I think it's more that, I think it's more about the hard work, right? And they realize hard work works, right? There's no secret sauce, right? If you're willing to put in the effort and the time and you have the talent, right, it'll pay off. And he's been a great example of that.”

Cornerback Jadon Canady’s Success This Season:

“One, he works really hard, right? And that's a common theme with our players. When you're when your best players are some of your hardest workers, that's something that separates it. And then I think Jadon has an unbelievable football IQ, just natural instincts, ability,” Lanning said.

“Talk about football instincts. He's a guy that has great football instincts. He can feel routes. He understands where the quarterback's working. He plays with great speed and physicality. Those things all really, really matter at that position.”

When It Became Clear That Dakorien Moore Would Be An Immediate Contributor:

“I mean, every single person is different, but the amount of plays and load that we put on these guys mentally, I think, can be really taxing. And I feel like our playbook is as open as it's ever been based on those guys being out there on the field and learning your job,” Lanning said.

“So that's just a great example. You know, some guys they come in and they learn packages, and you build it. He's the guy that's been able to handle it all, throw the kitchen sink at him, and mentally handle what we're asking him to.”