Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Reveals Summer Plans For Quarterbacks Dante Moore, Austin Novosad

The Oregon Ducks are heading into the 2025 college football season with slight uncertainty regarding the quarterback position. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is the projected starter, with the most experience, but has not been truly tested on the Ducks’ offense yet.

Moore transferred to Oregon following the 2023 season. Moore spent one year with the UCLA Bruins before entering the portal. With UCLA, Moore started five games and passed for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Moore joined the Ducks in 2024, sitting on the bench behind quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Also on the roster is quarterback Austin Novosad. Novosad has been with the Ducks since 2023 but lacks playing time. He joined Oregon as a four-star recruit from the class of 2023. The team also has three-star quarterback Luke Moga from the class of 2024.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks’ coach Dan Lanning opened up to ESPN’s Greg McElroy on Always College Football about heading into the season with quarterbacks who did not play much in 2024. While Moore is the expected starter, Lanning wants to see what all three of them can handle on the field.

“I think what’s really critical is they have to be themselves,” Lanning said. “We got to figure out what they can handle. Whether it’s Dante or Austin, or Luke or whoever’s out there for us at quarterback. Each one of them is going to be a little bit different.”

Moore took sitting behind Gabriel for the 2024 season as a learning experience. He used the year to grow and develop, ready to lead Oregon to a College Football Playoff run. The Ducks have had three quarterbacks drafted since the 2020 NFL Draft. The team had an undefeated regular season last year as well. Being the starting quarterback comes with high expectations.

Combat Ducks quarterback Dante Moore throws out a pass as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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With none of the rostered quarterbacks having played a substantial amount in 2024, Lanning is looking to push them hard in practice. He wants to test them enough that come season, how the quarterbacks perform on the field is natural.

“We have to do things frequently and so often in practice that they become second nature to our players in games. I don’t want to ever be asking to do something on game day that they haven’t already replicated in summer and spring and practice in the fall. We want them to do stuff that’s routine,” Lanning said.

While Moore is the projected starter, the team will use the player they think will best lead the program. The summer will be when the team has the quarterbacks hone in on their skills to see who can execute on the field.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks will open up the season against Montana State, followed by Oklahoma State, Northwestern, and Oregon State. The first couple of games will be crucial for whichever quarterback gets the nod to prove he can lead the team.

Oregon’s biggest game in the first half of the season will be on Sept. 27 when the Ducks face the Penn State Nittany Lions for the annual White Out. In a hostile environment, the Ducks will want a quarterback comfortable executing simple plays, as Lanning emphasized.

“When you have great players, they’ll make routine plays look like elite plays because they execute it at such a high level,” Lanning continued. “At times, you’ve got to be creative with your feet, and you’ve got to be able to make plays on the move. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make plays on the move and still be a great decision-maker for your team. We highlight when guys take easy money and they take advantage of what’s in front of them.”

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