Which Oregon Duck Is Biggest Key To Program's Success In 2025?

Prominent quarterbacks are known to be at the center of the Oregon Ducks' success. Can projected starting quarterback Dante Moore be the Ducks' secret ingredient in 2025 for Oregon coach Dan Lanning?

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks will lean on many names in the fall to take them back to the College Football Playoffs and attempt to go further than they’ve ever gone before.

Despite new faces and numerous players taking on bigger roles for the Ducks this season, the quarterback position remains one the biggest determinants of how the season may unfold.

ESPN listed Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as the program’s X factor heading into 2025. The former five-star recruit is set to take command of the Ducks’ offense this year after redshirting his true sophomore season.

Aug 31, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up before the game against the Idaho Vandals at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“Dan Lanning's team is so deep and well-rounded that it's hard to say the Ducks' success this season will hinge entirely on Moore,” ESPN writer Paolo Uggetti wrote. “And yet, since the Ducks' lineage of quarterbacks (Justin Herbert, Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel) has buoyed Oregon's offense in recent years, Moore has some big shoes to fill.”

Moore began his collegiate career with the UCLA Bruins, where he played in nine games as a freshman. The quarterback started in five games and threw multiple touchdowns in each of his first few appearances.

But after one year in Los Angeles, Moore transferred to Oregon where he learned from the veteran quarterback Gabriel.

“The 20-year-old sophomore spent a year learning under Gabriel and offensive coordinator Will Stein after getting thrown into the fire as a true freshman starter during his lone season at UCLA,” Uggetti continued. “This time, the stage will be much bigger and the pressure much higher.”

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Heisman Trophy finalists and conference championships are what Ducks fans have come to expect from the quarterback position. With former transfer quarterbacks Nix and Gabriel helping the program to a combined 35-6 record in Lanning’s coaching tenure, a standard has been set.

While Moore has displayed plenty of promise, his freshman season included nine interceptions and 25 sacks. With a season of learning from one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football history and an improved offensive line from what he had two years ago, Moore’s efficiency should only improve.

In addition to returning junior center Iapani Laloulu, Oregon brought in some of the top offensive linemen in the portal in Emmanuel Pregnon, Alex Harkey and Isaiah World. If the Ducks’ unit up front does a proper job at protecting Moore, the quarterback has plenty of capable targets to lead down the field.

Oct 7, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dante Moore (3) reacts following the victory against the Washington State Cougars at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Like Moore, there were a handful of question marks surrounding both Nix and Gabriel before their first seasons at the helm of Oregon’s offense. It’s fair to say that both quarterbacks more than earned their position starting for one of the nation’s top programs.

When Nix transferred to Eugene, it was Lanning’s first season leading the program. For Gabriel, it was just Lanning’s third year and Stein’s second as the team's offensive coordinator. Moore has the benefit of pre-existing chemistry with both coaches from his redshirt season, as well as Lanning and Stein being more experienced than ever in their roles.

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

Still, the Ducks are coming off a 13-1 season, which included a Big Ten Conference Championship, and Moore has significantly less on-field experience than his predecessors.

But if the redshirt sophomore plays up to the program’s quarterback standard, another deep postseason appearance might be in the cards for Oregon.