For the entirety of his career, Dan Lanning has been seen as a defensive guy. He played linebacker in high school and college and coached on the defensive side of the ball until ultimately becoming a defensive-minded head coach at Oregon.
He seems to have a pretty deft touch when it comes to curating the quarterback position, though.
Since Lanning came to Oregon in December of 2021, the Ducks’ have made a point to recruit the QB spot at a high level, whether that be in the high school or college transfer portal ranks. From landing Bo Nix out of the portal early in his tenure to securing commitments from guys like Akili Smith Jr. or Dillon Gabriel, getting high-profile QBs to come to Eugene has never been a problem. That fact was stated once again on Monday night when former UCLA QB Dante Moore announced his transfer to the Ducks.
Moore, a former 5-star QB, was committed to Oregon a year ago but flipped to UCLA late in the process. After a frustrating freshman season, he ultimately found his way back to Eugene, in order to get developed and see his career take off. This will likely take place in 2024 after a season backing up Gabriel, which is the presumed outcome of a spring QB battle in Eugene.
Now, with the two of them in the fold, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Ducks will have one of the best QB rooms in the nation going forward. After years of grabbing transfer portal passers in order to keep the ship afloat, from Dakota Prukop to Anthony Brown, Oregon can truly develop what they have and trust the process going forward.
Here is a look at the QBs on the roster, their outlook when it comes to future playing time, and some potential names to know in the recruiting world going forward as well.