Dan Lanning Provides Rare Insight on Developing Former Five-Star Quarterbacks

Over the last few seasons, the Oregon Ducks have been proven to be a place for former five-star quarterbacks to start fresh and thrive.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning holds an orange during the head coaches press conference ahead of Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, 2025, in Dania Beach, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the four seasons under coach Dan Lanning, the Oregon Ducks have had tremendous success with former five-star quarterbacks. Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore are the three former five-star quarterbacks who have had success under Lanning in his four seasons leading the Ducks. 

One thing all three quarterbacks have in common is that they transferred to Oregon and experienced a complete overhaul of their college careers. The development they underwent with Lanning not only led to success at Oregon but also prepared them to play at the next level.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning recently spoke on why the program has had such success with former five-star quarterback recruits in an interview on Y-Option College Football with Yogi Roth.

“I think we’re very clear how much outside noise matters, which is none,” Lanning said to Roth. “Those stars, you don’t get to carry them to the field. Your bank account, you don’t get to carry it to the field. It’s about what you do that day. It’s about the work that you put in.” 

The Success Of Former Five Star Quarterbacks Under Dan Lanning

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, a former Oregon quarterback, left, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, right, take a picture with Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Gabriel led the Ducks to an undefeated regular season in 2024 and an appearance in the  College Football Playoff, Nix is the former Oregon quarterback who has seemingly benefited the most from Lanning’s mentorship. After transferring from Auburn in 2022, Nix turned his career around in his two seasons with the Ducks, becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist and a first-round pick with the Denver Broncos.

Over two seasons in the NFL, Nix has been considered one of the brightest young stars, throwing for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. Before suffering a season-ending right ankle injury, Nix led the Broncos to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Dante Moore is the next former five-star quarterback aiming to have success in the NFL, but first, there is unfinished business with Oregon. Since transferring from UCLA in 2024, Moore has thrown for 3,614 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions for the Ducks. 

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Last season, Moore led the Ducks to their second consecutive appearance in the CFP and made a run to the semifinal at the Peach Bowl, where they fell to the Indiana Hoosiers 56-22. Despite being a top projected pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Moore opted to return to Oregon in hopes of leading the Ducks to their first national championship in program history. 

Expectations For Future Quarterbacks

Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) greets the team as the walk into the stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The expectation after Moore departs Oregon is that former five-star Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola will be next in line to have success. Despite his ups and downs in his two seasons with Nebraska, Raiola has the potential to be a star under Lanning.

“Expectations is a big word,” Lanning told Roth. “So many people’s expectations are based on things they don’t control, right? So if you can restructure your expectations to be based on things you can control, the right attitude, effort, focus, and going through the right progression, like those things you’re in charge of."

"If you can make sure you’re doing that, and it has nothing to do with the result, it’s not based on if the ball was caught or not, or what coverage they played, right? It’s ‘did I go through the right steps?’ and if I set my expectations based on those things, in the long term, good things happen, right? But it’s not results-based, it’s process-based," Lanning continued.

In his two seasons with the Cornhuskers, Raiola threw for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Under Lanning at Oregon, interceptions are a weakness Raiola looks to cut back on if he does become the starter after Moore leaves for the NFL.

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