Dan Lanning, Kenny Dillingham, and the Oregon Ducks were rolling with a full head of steam during the summer of 2022. They had just picked up a commitment from Dante Moore, the highest-rated quarterback to ever commit to the Ducks in the modern era. Getting ready for their first official season in Eugene, vibes were high up in Oregon.
Fast forward a few months, and that excitement around the quarterback position had changed slightly. After a successful season saw Dillingham leave the Ducks to take over as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils, Moore announced that he would be decommitting from Oregon. Not long after, he announced his commitment to UCLA, joining Chip Kelly and the Bruins.
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Fast forward another year, and Moore was back in the transfer portal after a bumpy start to his career in Westwood. This time, he came back to Oregon, the place that he fell in love the first time around.
“Many people say there’s many reasons why I left but the real reason why is because Coach Dillingham left,” Moore said on Thursday after practice. “You know, as a quarterback, your OC needs to be your best friend and really at the end of the day when they hired Coach Stein, I didn’t know much of Coach Stein.”
Moore details that he talked with Oregon’s new offensive coordinator a bit before making his decision, but he ultimately felt like going to UCLA and joining Chip Kelly was the right decision.
Things didn’t go smoothly at UCLA, though, where Moore played in nine games, throwing for 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. After getting in and out of the starting lineup, Moore decided that it was time for a change of scenery after his freshman year, one that had a better chance to develop him.
“When I hit the portal, you know, I contacted Coach Lanning and he texted me back. I kind of knew where I was going already,” Moore said. “At the end of the day, out of high school, if things were right, I would have been here right now.”
Now, while Moore is competing with Gabriel for the starting QB spot, he says he feels happy to be where he feels like he belongs, around players who he helped recruit to Oregon when he was a commit.
“Just being out here, you get the best facilities in the world,” Moore said. “Got a great coaching staff. Best playmakers out here on the field. Just have everything around here.”
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