Dante Moore Turns Heads Comparing Oregon Backup Quarterback to Cam Newton

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is expected to turn heads throughout the season as the leader of the No. 2 team in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, but according to Moore, Oregon's future at quarterback once he departs is plenty bright.

After Tuesday's fall camp practice, Moore had some lofty praise for Ducks quarterback Akili Smith Jr., comparing the young passer to Cam Newton.

"The quarterbacks have been doing a great job. I mean, just myself and the other quarterbacks, just the way we communicate in the film room, the joy we bring to the room, the joy we bring to the field, the energy. Akili has been doing a great job. I mean, when he first came into now, the way he goes through progressions, the way he can escape, use his legs. 6-6 245. So I mean, he looks like Cam Newton out there running around, but overall he just makes great plays."

oregon ducks dante moore quarterback fall camp dan lanning akili smith jr cam newton nfl justin herbert marcus mariota — Combat Duck quarterback Akili Smith Jr. drops back to pass during the Oregon Spring Game. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As Oregon fans know, Newton and the Auburn Tigers won the national championship over the Ducks after the 2010 season, the same year Newton won the Heisman Trophy.

Smith Jr. likely has a few seasons until he sees the field in Eugene, but do the Ducks have a potential future superstar already on the roster?

Moore decided to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Ducks already have three former quarterbacks expected to start in the NFL: Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, Denver Broncos' Bo Nix, and New Orleans Saints' Tyler Shough. If Moore is right about what he sees from Smith Jr. in practice, Oregon could have at least two more future NFL quarterbacks on the 2026 roster.

Everything Dante Moore Said:

Refocusing on Football After Busy Summer

"Yeah, it's been great. Just being able to, of course, play the game I love. You know, just being, of course, travel the world. It felt like during the summer was great to create some great memories with my teammates, you know, family, myself. But yeah, being back, working with the team, fall camp, you know, it's hard days, but we kind of embrace it and enjoy it," said Moore.

How Confident He Feels

"I would say preparation is of course the biggest thing, especially as a quarterback or even just a athlete in general. It's just also trust what coach (Drew) Mehringer has within me, and of course what I have within him is being able to go out there on the field and see defensive looks that we've watched and filmed, even from other teams or even what our team does. And when we go out there on the field and just trusting what we've been taught and coached."

"And being able to go out there and if the play works, you know we're happy, and if the play doesn't work, we just go back to the film room and say, 'Hey, how can we change it to you know to be better?' But yeah, that's just the game of football. The defense has been pushing us really well. They've been making great, great plays, and we've been making great plays as well."

How He and the Team Have Grown in 365 Days

"Yeah, me personally, when he (Dan Lanning) asked that question, I just thought about just my process of how much I've been so much dialed in the details. Of course, last year I was learning a lot. It was my first time, you know, taking over the team and being able to play. But just being able to be this year, having the knowledge I have now, and of course this offseason, being able to push with coach (Wilson) Love, and just really appreciate my process with between my body, my mind. If it's yoga, if it's all these things to help make sure I stay productive throughout my days."

"And then the team. I mean, the scrimmage was great. Defense made great plays. We made great plays, but I kind of felt within myself, I have gotten better protecting the football, making smart reads, and being able to use my legs more. Put on some weight, put on some speed, and being able to embrace my game."

What Stands Out on Marcus Mariota's Film

Yeah, Marcus is special talent. He's been playing the game for a long time, and being able to watch-I mean, you watch his college film, you watch his NFL film. It's just the the way he plays the game with his speed. If it's just mentally going through progressions, or even using his legs to make plays. And of course, he's loved here and for who he is as a person, but you know also as a player."

"And I think the biggest thing with him is just how he is in this world outside of football, just the way he carries himself, the way he loves his family, the way he is as a father. And I kind of like me as a man of life, I just get to learn from him, and when we're on the range together, just watching him, you know, hug his daughter and his son, everybody. That just makes me think he's doing great things in life, and I want to follow his footsteps."

Blocking Out Outside Noise

"Yeah, not being on social media, I think that's the biggest thing I've been doing. Of course, if it comes with like deals and things, I just have my team handle all that. But that's something that coach Lanning brought up to me. Something I learned from Bo Nix, being able to see him and him and coach Lanning talking that he didn't go through. You know, he wasn't on social media through fall camp, and in our generation, we're addicted to it."

"We love tablets, we love iPads and everything, and I fall victim to it as well. I love being on Instagram late at night, but sleep's important. I have a lot of priorities. I'm trying to maximize it and go attack. So just being off social media and really giving 100 percent effort and attention to my teammates."

Balancing Routines of Fall Camp

"Fall camp of course morning start at 5 a.m. Probably done at 10 p.m. So those are long days, but just gotta embrace it. I love doing it. I love, of course, having the same routine. You just can never get bored of it. Coach Love has done a great job with creating me a schedule. Trainers, my coaches, yoga instructor, everybody has poured into a schedule for me and my teammates, and we've all adapted to them and appreciated them."

"So, of course, you know when you're doing something, you look for the results, and there's been great results. Sometimes I fail when I'm doing something, but as much as you've been working even harder. So the process been working, and I'm still attacking every day."

Oregon's Quarterback Room

"I mean, overall, even goes down to Ryder Hayes. The way he has so much attention to detail, the way he pushes us in indie (individual) groups and pushes the herd, and everybody's pouring into this team, into the quarterback. You know, you always looked at as leader, but every other position is pushing us as well to be leader still."

Facing the Oregon Defense in Practice

"Coach Hamp (Chris Hampton), of course, has been pushing that defense with different disguises. You know, the D-line here is special. They've really, you know, all the great talent, but the O-line here is special as well. So it's always iron sharpening iron out there. They've been pushing each other."

"And of course, as the quarterback. I love wearing the red jersey in practice so I don't get hit. But I mean, overall, it's just when we're out there either way I see defensive linemen make moves, and they're right in front of my face, got to scramble. But at the end of the day, they win reps, we win reps, and we just got to push each other and make sure that we just maximize, you know, every play."

Learning from Mistakes

"I enjoy and embrace every mistake I make because it makes me learn from it, and there's times where if I wasn't making mistakes today. . . I mean today I made mistakes. Yesterday I made mistakes. If I wasn't making mistakes, I'll be worried. So it's just making sure that when I do make a mistake, how I can maximize it. Talk to the coaches, even talk with them myself. Self talk is something that's huge, and be able to learn from it."

"But yeah, I mean, pressure is a privilege. Embracing it. We've been doing a great job here. Make sure that you know we're pushing ourselves, but expectations are on everybody in life. And at the end of the day, you got to look at it, block out the noise, and make sure you're worried about your team one day at a time."

Practicing With Jalen Lott

"Another Dallas receiver, very talented. Evan (Stewart), Dakorien (Moore), Jalen (Lott), all those Dallas guys are special. But yeah, remember the first fall camp practice, he was out there with me and seemed to make a move, and he caught the ball and like extended out before. I'm like, 'Wow, this is a freshman making this play.'"

"So really fast, getting getting smarter with the playbook. Of course, out there sometimes is probably just swimming around because he's young. That happens every young player. But at the end of the day, he's just making those plays. The ball's in there, he's gonna go grab it. So he's been doing a great job. He's making extra film, extra meetings with coaches. Been getting extra work for me after practice. So he's someone that's gonna be very special for this program."

Communicating with Marcus Mariota

"Yeah, that's one thing that's special about this place. Everybody loves supporting the NFL guys. NFL guys love supporting the college guys, and I think that we're just a family here, and they have a great culture to where we always pour back into each other. And there's been times where Koa has turned on the Marcus game with him during the season, we watched it and just broke it down, and we were giving feedback."

"And sometimes they give feedback to us. And I know last year, before the playoff started, he called me and just gave me great information. So he's someone that just loves this place, and we just you know make sure we get better every single day."

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