Oregon Receiver Dakorien Moore Opens Up On Injury, Dante Moore and Maturity

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore spoke to reporters after Oregon’s 10th spring practice. Moore is entering his second season in Eugene. The former class of 2025 five-star recruit had 34 receptions for 497 yards and four total touchdowns for the Ducks as a freshman in 2025.

Here is everything that Moore had to say on Thursday, including his impression of four-star Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer, safety Koi Perich.

It's Moore's first media availability since the 2025-26 football season ended.

Oregon Ducks Dakorien Moore Wide Receiver Spring Ball Big Ten Eugene Autzen Stadium Dan Lanning Five-Star Recruit Freshman — Sep 6, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) walks off the field after a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Everything Wide Receiver Dakorien Moore Said

Early Impression of Koi Perich

"He's been tremendous. I feel like Dillon Thieneman set a standard when he first came in here, just seeing the way he worked. First one in, last one out. He was really like the standard for that. But Koi Perich came straight in and was on that same type of timing. He came in, was ready to work."

"He's been a leader. Being that he came from another school, didn't matter to him. He came in kind of pushing another standard because they aren't the same player. But I think he's coming in giving everything he got."

Offseason Improvements

"I say I've improved a lot, mainly on my maturity. Coming in last year, it was a lot of me just like, thinking I'm kind of being picked on a lot, coming from Texas, of course, I hadn't been in a lot of situations, but it was a lot of situations I've never been put in that I was put in when I got here. "

"So being that I was put in them situations last year, I'm kind of more prepared for them. And being that I'm around like J-Mac, E -Stew like some of the older guys who was here last year, us connecting well, having that good connection, like, pushing me through."

Recovering From Last Year’s Injury

"Yep, I would say I'm to one hundred percent or at least I feel like I'm one hundred percent. But just mainly, like, stay in the treatment room. Last year, being that I came from high school, I wasn't really in the training room a lot. Growing up, you hear a lot of get in the training room, go do this, that, and the third. But, you're young, you don't really feel like you got to get in there."

"You go back the next day, you feel good. But coming up here, being that we work every single day, it's definitely a toll on your body. So being that I got injured last year, definitely humbled my experience to actually stay in the training room."

Running Track and Field This Year

"If I'm being honest, I started football and track at the same time. I was about five years old, started football and track, so I actually have a lot of love for it. It's like my second secondary sport, literally. So being that I grew up running, I came fresh out of high school, straight from it, to hear I was supposed to do it when I first got here, but I felt that football workout, and I was not gonna be able to do it."

"But being that I feel like I'm more mature now, I'm able to go out there and fight for what I love. Long jump is like something that I have most of my love for. It's like something that I feel like is my isolation piece, something I can step away and just like, work on my craft individually."

Growth From Freshman Year

"Mostly, you come in, you hear a lot of guys say that five-star stuff don't matter. You ain't nothing that you did in high school. You got to re-establish your stuff. So that was kind of proving that to me a lot. We got here. Being that this is Oregon, we have talent everywhere, big guys working hard everywhere. So they was kind of like feeding that into me."

Connection With Quarterback Dante Moore

"So last year, when I first got here, Dante was one of the first ones to talk to me. We had to have the same last name. So he reached out to me and stuff like that, and he been pushing me ever since. He was the first one getting me with all the older guys and stuff like that, with throwing outside of practice. So being that I got hurt, he wanted me to have that confidence back in myself. So he's kind of like getting me, like more targets working me back in, being that I couldn't really, like, finish the season off strong that I wanted to last year."

Maturity On And Off Field

"On the field, mostly just knowing that we got young guys, kind of like being that self-talk to them, like being that voice in their ear to tell them, like, the plays, the routes, making sure that they know what they're doing and if they have the confidence to do it. Because I was in the same shoes last year, so just making sure that they go out there and able to use that abilities that they was recruited to be here."

Being a Role Model in Modern College Football

"Being that I have a lot of eyes on me, I kind of monitor a lot of things that I do. Being that I'm a role model to most kids, a lot of adults, I kind of monitor everything that I do. Just making sure that I'm doing what people look up to and not what people say, 'Oh, that's not really what I want to be like.' But other than that, I'll kind of say I'm modeling after the guys in front of me."

"Like I said, we had a lot of older guys last year. Of course, Malik Benson, he was a very, very rare role model for me last year. Had a tremendous, tremendous year. Was a big outlet for Dante. So I'm trying to be that same person. So I kind of talk to him a lot. I have E-Stew in my corner, too. J-Mac, a lot of older guys. That's kind of just like leading me on. So I think I'm going in the right direction."

On Evan Stewart’s Return From Injury

"Soon as he was ready to go out there, he stepped foot out there. He was ready to go, and he came straight in making plays like everybody was hyped. We threw the ball up to him. He's out there making plays like right back to what I seen getting recruited."

Position-Less Football

"So in high school, being who I was in high school, I kind of played every position already. I was able to move to the backfield even in high school. So I was kind of already adapted to playing positions when it came to our offense, and we kind of ran a little bit of Oregon's offense already."

"But when I got here, it was more so trying to focus on one position. But Ross (Douglas) made it better for me by teaching me every position last year. So we kind of complement our plays already being that we still behind Lanning. So I mean, the play is not really too much different. It's just me learning more of concepts, not just positions."

Momentum From 2025 Spring Game

"I would say it kind of warmed me up just knowing that it's just backyard football, being a freshman going out there in front of not just any crowd, Oregon's crowd. Definitely have the jitters going out there. But that first catch just like set it off. I'm like, 'Okay, like it's time to get it on now.' But being that this is my second year, I'm more confident more level-headed. I know what I need to attack and where I need to be, as talking goal-wise during the spring game. So I think I'm all set."

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