Oregon Ducks' Will Stein Compares Dante Moore to NFL Quarterback

EUGENE - Oregon Ducks fans have been patiently waiting for news of who will start at quarterback for the program in week 1 after a competitive fall camp, despite quarterback Dante Moore being the team's presumed starter.

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein spoke with the media about the quarterback competition during the fourth week of fall camp. Stein compared Moore to current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and former Louisville Cardinals star Teddy Bridgewater.

What Will Stein Said:

will stein oregon ducks quarterback offensive coordinator dante moore luke moga austin novosad big ten fall camp dan lanning — Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as offensive coordinator Will Stein during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

How Ge Defines The Competition At Quarterback:

“Really competitive. Every single one of those kids comes in and works their tail off, and I keep saying that, but it's a really healthy room. Guys are bought into the process. Guys are bought into each other. They're their biggest fans, but they're also competing. And I've been in a quarterback battle before as a player, and that was against a first-round draft pick, Teddy Bridgewater. He was pretty good,” Stein said.

“But when you worry about other people, that's when you see it, Dante (Moore) makes a big play, and somebody else might say, ‘Oh, I gotta make a big play too.’ No, just do your job, or Austin (Novosad) makes a big throw, and everybody's, ‘Oh, I gotta make a throw now.’ No, just do your job. Just run the offense,” Stein added.

“So, it's been great. It's been, like I said, really competitive. I think it's starting to kind of shape out a little bit for us, and we'll see here in the next week or so where we're gonna go.”

What He Saw From Dante Moore’s 2023 Film:

“I remember we got on (Pro Football Focus) and just watched all of his completions. Took out all the picks and all that and young mistakes that a lot of quarterbacks experience early in their career when thrust into a role limited offensive line play, running for your life. I mean, that can be kind of detrimental to a young quarterback.”

“What I saw when I turned on the tape, like, wow. Throws like, oh my gosh. Like, dang, that was a ball. And when those kept showing up on the completions, some corner routes or scramble throws, like, dude, this guy's got elite arm talent. And I'd previously known Dante, because, if you remember, when I got here, he was committed. I went to MLK, I went to Detroit, like, two times that I was allowed to when I first got here. So, knowing him, knowing his family, knowing the people around him, as high school coaches, I knew he was about the right stuff,” Stein said.

“It just it didn't translate to UCLA, and not because of a lack of scheme. I think we all know Chip Kelly is a great coach, and I just don't think he had the players around him that you need, if you're a true freshman, to go be super successful. So, when he has gotten here, you can see his talent has flourished. He's so humble. He's willing to learn,” Stein said about Moore.

“He reminds me he's a great blend of like Bo (Nix’s) football, IQ and Dillon (Gabriel) just can grab it, can pull everybody together, which is really unique and special. I think I've said it in him before, but he wears five, he's got a glove on his left hand. I played with Teddy Bridgewater. He does remind me a lot of Teddy. Teddy threw the glove on his right hand, but that's a lofty comparison for me, but he's just got that kind of, that moxie about him, that it factor, that people just gravitate towards.”

How Iapani 'Poncho' ThiLaloulu Has Grown:

“Poncho is great. I mean, he's everybody's biggest fan. Since the moment he stepped on campus, he's just been a shining light, I think, to our entire team. But, he has found his voice. And you hear him on the sideline when he's not in, when the other groups are going, he's constantly cheering on his teammates, constantly investing in others, talking to people on the sidelines, picking people up,” Stein said.

“He's got a great voice in our offensive room when we go to unit meetings. So, he's just, he's one of the vets. He's, I think, the only returning starter on our offense. He’s played a lot of ball, played as a true freshman,” Stein added.

“He does help the quarterbacks out a lot in terms of athletic, scrimmage procedure, cadence, maybe specific run checks or pass protection, you know, checks as well. So, I'm really, really fortunate and glad he's on our team and he's one of the main glue pieces to us as an entire program.”

Who’s Stood Out At Wide Receiver:

“Gary Bryant is one of the most consistent football players I've ever been around. He's a complete pro. He does everything you ask him to do. He blocks his ass off. He runs routes at the specific depth. He catches the ball, makes plays good with the ball in hand,” Stein said.

“I mean, I was really saddened that he couldn't have an impact on our team like he wanted to, like we wanted to last season because of injuries, and I would have loved to have him test Traeshon (Holden) and all those guys out there have been working together, but obviously injuries plagued him last season, so I think he's in a great spot, mentally, physically, he's super gifted,” Stein said on Bryant.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) against the Liberty Flames during the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“The guy's made plays here in ‘23 he had 40-something catches, 500 yards. I remember the Arizona State playing '23, we threw him a swing, and he makes multiple people miss and takes it 65 yards of the house. He's extremely consistent, and it starts with his prep. He's definitely, let's say, the leader of that group, and not just vocally, but just how he approaches every single day.”

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How The Quarterbacks Have Responded Throughout Camp:

“They responded really well and drill work and meeting room, prep and on the field, play. And you know, becoming the starting quarterback is not easy, especially at a place like Oregon. It's very competitive,” Stein said.

“We have guys from all over the country that are here to compete to win the job, especially with the history of the position here seven first round draft picks at quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner, the winningest quarterbacks in college football history, or the most starts with Dillon (Gabriel) and Bo (Nix) so it's, there's a lot riding on there's a lot of, anxiety for everybody else about who's it going to be, but I know the person that we put out there is going to play winning football for us,” Stein continued.

“And the good thing is, they don't have to win it by themselves. We have a great team. We have great players around them, people that are bought in, coaching staff that is as elite as anywhere you're going to find in the country. So, all they got to do, when they get their opportunity, go out there, run the show, be the point guard, get the players and just keep moving the chains.”

On Running Back Depth:

“Really deep, really deep. Noah (Whittington), I mean, what a great person, great leader. New father, does everything. He's like a Gary (Bryant), does everything right, has great talent, has been here. Is a program guy, but an elite player, and I think he's had a great time here working with Jordan James and working with Bucky (Irving),” Stein said.

“Now he's really the leader of that room, which is great for him. Jay Harris, Jayden Limar, both had really strong camps. Da’Juan Riggs have had a strong camp, you know, Makhi (Hughes has) done really well. I'd say, this fall compared to where it was in the spring, just learning the system. Anytime it's you're new somewhere, it just, it takes a little bit time. I told another, I said they were running duo. Run a counter. Run outside zone. You've been doing this for a long time. Just know what the call is and go run it,” Stein added.

“So, and I think that kind of freed him up. And then you got two young players that are just, man, I'm starting to call them thunder and lightning, and like Jordon Davison and Dierre (Hill) are going to be special players here for a long time, really excited about them and their development and that whole room. Coach (Ra’Shaad) Samples does a phenomenal job of distribution of carries, especially in practice, which is always hard. And those guys have responded, and they were great unit, really great unit, and excited about what they're gonna bring to us this year.”

How Close Stein Feels They Are To Elite Execution:

“Getting there. Defense kicked our butt in the first scrimmage, but by the second scrimmage, it was much better. Last week was much better. Guys flying around doing their job. That was our main focus last week, was just do your 111, do your job. Don't try to do somebody else's job. Just do yours,” Stein said.

“Focus on your process and we get all 11 playing the same call, we're going to give ourselves a chance to make plays on offense. So, it's been a much better week, much better two weeks. Not that the first week wasn't good,” Stein continued.

“It's just kind of showed in that first scrimmage that we didn't come out, we didn't play physical, we didn't get momentum early against our defense, and it kind of spiraled in just to a kind of a man kind of day, but the last two weeks I thought have been really good by our guys.”

What He Learned About How They Started Last Year:

“I know I talk about, I really, I've moved on past last year, but it is great to reflect and to think about, okay, what do we do then? How do we change? We had some personnel changes early on last season that helped us spark against Oregon State. But I just reflect on me, just me as a coordinator having too many plays going in the first game, right?”

“We're coming out of fall camp, you got all these schemes that you've been doing for the past three weeks and in summer, in the spring, and you just can't carry that much offense into a Week 1. And it doesn't matter who you're playing, it's what do you do. Well, what is schematically, the best advantage against the defense that you're playing?”

“And you know what your players can go execute. So that's, I would say, the big piece for me is getting us in a good group early, involves players playing the most confidently that they can based on the calls that are in, based on the personnel groupings that we have on the field and we'll use the experiences in the past to learn from and fuel ourselves going forward,” Stein said.

“But we're gonna be playing a really good team week 1, really good team, and I'm excited about the challenge and the opportunity at hand, but you know, right now, we're still just focused on our process and today, and today's practice was good, and tomorrow's practice gonna be good, and we should keep building,” Stein said.

What He Learned About Starting A Young Quarterback At UTSA:

“I've been really fortunate. I took over UTSA as the play caller in ‘22, and we had a guy named Frank Harris who started a lot of games as well and won a lot of games, won a conference title the year prior. Then I get here, and I get Bo Nix, and then Dillon Gabriel. I've been, I mean, like crazy blessed,” Stein said.

“The last time it's been like this for me, honestly, in 2018 at Lake Travis high school, I took over a kid named Hudson Card was a receiver the year prior and took over as a starting quarterback in 2018 at a powerhouse in the state of Texas, and we end up having a great year, and it's a lot of fun to have this type of challenge,” Stein added.

“The good thing is that when you have people that are bought in, that are about the process, they're smart, tough, dependable and extremely talented like our room, it makes my job easier. Now there's going to be growing moments throughout the season that maybe we haven't seen here in the past few years, but there's growing moments with Dillon too. There's growing moments with Bo when I got here. We tweaked things in the offense, changed some terminology,” Stein continued.

“That was a process with Bo, Dillon was coming from a completely different system and in this style of offense and had growing moments early. Think about Michigan State last year, threw two interceptions in the low red. UCLA early in the year, threw a pick six. He was battling through his own process with us that it was not an inexperienced quarterback, but it was new to this place. “

“So good thing is, Dante's now in year two. Here, Austin's in year three. (Brock Thomas is) in year three, (Luke Moga is) in year two. That gives me a lot of peace of mind at night, knowing that I know they know the signals, they know the calls and the protections, they know our run checks, they know how we play offense. And I'm really, really excited to see them, you know, take off this year and help us win games,” he concluded.