CLASS IMPACT: 2024 QB Luke Moga is a Duck
On Friday, Oregon landed a commitment from Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope quarterback Luke Moga.
After announcing he would be delaying his commitment, which was originally set for April 28, he ended up pledging to the Ducks to start off a big recruiting weekend that coincided with the spring game.
Let's break down what this commitment means for Dan Lanning, Will Stein and Oregon.
Recruiting impact
Moga's commitment couldn't come at a better time for the Ducks, as they used it to build some momentum on the recruiting trail to kickstart the biggest weekend of the year.
It's important to get a quarterback in the fold as early as possible since they so often serve as the face of any given recruiting class. Now they'll be able to recruit other players in this class with a passer in the fold. This pledge also serves as a vote of confidence in new offensive coordinator Will Stein during his first full cycle with the Ducks.
Adding Moga further strengthens Oregon's ties into the state of Arizona, which is also home to major targets Elijah Rushing, Miles Lockhart and Christian Clark in the 2024 class.
The biggest question now becomes this. What does this mean for 2024 Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy dual-threat quarterback Michael Van Buren? He was also on campus in Eugene for a visit this weekend right after placing the Ducks in his top three along with Penn State and Maryland.
My feeling is that Oregon doesn't take a commitment from Moga if it means they'll miss out on a guy like Van Buren--who they not only have been recruiting longer, but he's also a more polished passer and someone whose commitment would likely move the needle more with recruits on a national scale.
So all around, this is great news for the Ducks and I don't think it hurts their chances with Van Buren at all.
Evaluation
Moga is an extremely gifted athlete at 6'2" and right around 200 pounds.
His ability to improvise, extend plays and throw off platform all make him a special talent. Moga threw for 2,258 yards and 26 touchdowns against 8 interceptions as a junior (according to Maxpreps). He completed 42.3% of his passes (134/283) which is a concern, but I've also heard that was due in part to drops from receivers.
He's not the most refined thrower you'll find, but that could be because he played multiple positions as a freshman and sophomore before focusing on quarterback full-time in 2022. He's obviously a quick learner for 25 schools to extend a scholarship offer and show faith in his ability and upside.
His 10.7 speed in the 100 meters is evident throughout his junior tape, as he ran for 539 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries. Moga's dual-threat ability fits the direction the game is headed and he should have success in Will Stein's offense--maybe even more so since his game kind of reminds me of Bo Nix.
Roster outlook at Oregon
Moga is a really intriguing add for the Ducks, but I wouldn't say he projects as an early-impact player. If he has a strong senior year and his game takes a big leap, maybe that changes.
But with Bo Nix headed to the NFL in 2024, redshirt sophomore Ty Thompson looks like the most likely starter if I had to guess right now.
I think the coaching staff wants to add another high school quarterback to give themselves more options and add to the competition between Thompson and new true freshman Austin Novosad. You can't afford to have a down year at quarterback if you want to compete for a national championship and the grace period for allowing a quarterback to mature is almost non-existent.
So even if Oregon does add another high school quarterback in this class, I fully expect them to explore their options in the transfer portal to have two quarterbacks that are ready to go at any point come 2024.