Dan Lanning Doesn't Hold Back on the Impact of Dante Moore's Return to Oregon

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN after the program landed a commitment from four-star EDGE recruit Rashad Streets from the class of 2027, and Lanning spoke with McAfee about Oregon's upcoming season in 2026.

Dan Lanning on Dante Moore's Leadership

With quarterback Dante Moore deciding to forgo the NFL Draft, the expectations are sky-high for Oregon to be competitive again in the College Football Playoff. In Eugene, Lanning's excitement for next year starts with Moore's character and leadership abilities:

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dan lanning dante moore oregon ducks college football playoff leadership iapani poncho laloulu pat mcafee show — Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) and head coach Dan Lanning talk to a reporter after a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

"Well, every year's a new year. We talk about standards in our program, and Dante's been part of this team, and he's helped create some of those standards," said Lanning. "When you have a guy like that that's coming back, that's obviously a dynamic player, that has a really high ceiling, has gotten better and better in his time with us, you get really excited because not just the player's coming back, but you're getting the leadership qualities, the experience. It certainly gives us a chance to have great success."

Oregon may be replacing both offensive coordinator Will Stein and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, but the team has continuity with the promotions of Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator and Chris Hampton to defensive coordinator.

Perhaps more importantly, the Ducks have been proven to be a player-led team under Lanning. With Moore continuing to lead the team, how far can he take it?

Moore completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in his first full season as the Ducks' starter. The improvement from his freshman year at UCLA is easy to recognize as Moore only completed 53.5 percent of passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in nine games in 2023.

Dan Lanning Reveals Mentality of Oregon's Locker Room

Oregon's quarterback is not the only piece returning in 2026, giving Lanning and the Ducks a rather veteran-led team thanks to center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu, defensive linemen Teitum Tuioti, Bear Alexander, A'Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, and wide receiver Evan Stewart.

Meanwhile, the roster also consists of rising sophomores like cornerback Brandon Finney, wide receiver Dakorien Moore, and running back Jordon Davison, who all look to build upon breakout freshman years.

McAfee asked Lanning about Oregon's locker room and how the Ducks players are feeling heading into the season, and Lanning was quick to note the opportunity for growth between spring practice and the regular season.

Hungry. We got a hungry group. I'm excited, we're about to hit practice five here of spring. We love being on the field, we love getting in the work. These guys have really pushed, we have a lot of guys that made a commitment to come back, right? They know they got something in the tank, they want something a little bit more, and then we got some dynamic game changers that have joined our program as well. So I'm excited to see what these guys do, but they've been working extremely hard. There's a lot of work to be done before we get to that season," said Lanning.

Oregon's spring game will be held on April 25, and the Ducks' regular season opens against Boise State on Sept. 5.

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