Oregon
Could Quarterback Dante Moore Be Oregon Ducks’ Next Bo Nix?
Losing a starting quarterback is likely a death sentence for any college football team. For example, last season’s Florida State Seminoles’ season quickly imploded after quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury. The Seminoles went from National Title hopeful to College Football Playoff rejectee in one play, culminating with a 63-3 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
While the Oregon Ducks would love to keep the Heisman frontrunner Dillon Gabriel upright all season… Here is a case that Oregon will be in great hands if they have to test the depth of the quarterback room. Out of all the magic Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning worked this offseason in the portal and on the recruiting trail, signing transfer quarterback Dante Moore may have been his biggest get.
Moore was a heralded five-star recruit from Detroit, Michigan. The No. 4 overall recruit from 247Sports 2023 recruiting class was committed to Oregon up until the very end. UCLA pried Moore away, presumably with playing time promises that Oregon couldn’t offer to him as a freshman.
Moore wasn’t the full-time starter, but appeared in nine games for the Bruins in 2023. His freshman struggles forced then UCLA coach Chip Kelly to play musical chairs at the quarterback position throughout the season. Moore finished the year with 1,610 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Following his up-and-down freshman year, Moore decided to enter the transfer portal. Even after sixth-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel joined Oregon, Moore did what he wouldn’t do out of high school: commit to the Ducks despite staring at a backup role.
Did Moore’s struggles in Westwood make him realize he needed a year to learn and develop? Did Oregon offer him enough NIL money to embrace his new role? It’s unclear why the quarterback took his talents to Eugene this time around. What is clear, however, is that the Ducks will be in good hands if he’s needed this season.
Oregon may have its best backup quarterback ever in Moore. Had he committed to the Ducks out of high school, he would have been one of the highest-rated recruits in school history. I don’t think that freshman-year struggles should change the narrative on him. Playing the position as a freshman, in a talented Pac-12 Conference, often with inferior talent surrounding him, is an extreme challenge for anyone.
Now, Moore gets a fresh start in Eugene and can learn from a sixth-year quarterback in Dillon Gabriel and his offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach, Will Stein. He can do it all without the urgency of starting day one.
“Overall, going through fall camp, I’m way more comfortable,” said Moore, “Checking calls, checking protections — I’m just feeling more comfortable from what Coach Stein has taught us.”
“He’s still learning and growing in our system,” Stein said.”But he’s at a point now where I feel really good about his progress.”
Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix began his career in similar fashion as Moore. Like Moore, Nix was a 5-star recruit thrust into action right away against elite competition and faced some struggles at Auburn. Nix blossomed as a Duck to become a Heisman Trophy finalist and NFL first round draft pick. Moore certainly has enough talent to duplicate that level of success.
Oregon may have secured its long-term quarterback of the future and the most talented backup quarterback it has ever had in Moore.
MORE: Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Game Time Released, Prime Time Big Ten Matchup
MORE: Bill Belichick: Rookie Bo Nix And Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton Look Like Perfect Fit
MORE: Marcus Mariota Sharing ‘Gold’ With Washington Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels
MORE: Former College Football Coach Regrets Letting Dan Lanning Take New Job
MORE: Chip Kelly’s Ohio State Offense Radically Different Than His Oregon Ducks’ Blur Offense
MORE: Former Oregon Ducks Quarterback Signs Deal With Buffalo Bills
The Jets, with their 16th pick of Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft, might have been tempted to move up to grab one of the set of hands that appealed to them in this draft class. But the Green & White remained patient and stayed put at 16 and were rewarded by being able to select Kenyon Sadiq, the draft’s top tight end out of Oregon.
“It’s unreal, man. Need to be the Jets. It’s special,” said Sadiq of being selected 16th overall and by the Green & White. “My sister currently lives in New York, so I’m happy to get down there. But great interactions with all the staff, in meetings and everything. So I’m beyond excited, super grateful.
“David Bailey said it already,” Sadiq added about Bailey, the Texas Tech edge taken second overall. “This organization is trending in the right direction. And I’m just a piece that can help and I’m ready to help. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to do it.”
Sadiq, known by some as “Sadiq the Freak,” put his athleticism and receiving skills on full display last season with an Oregon single-season tight ends record of 51 catches for 560 yards and 8 receiving touchdowns, which led all FBS tight ends. He was named a second-team All-American and the Big Ten TE of the Year and was a finalist for the John Mackey Award, which goes to the nation’s top tight.
After the season’s end, Sadiq went to the NFL Combine in February and demonstrated some of that freakishness in dominating his position. He turned in a 4.39-second 40, best among TEs not only this year but for the past 14 Combines. He also notched a 43.5-inch vertical leap, an 11-1 broad jump and 26 reps in the bench press, all second at his position.
“I’ve got all the attributes,” he told the Jets media Thursday. “I mean, the Combine showed that.”
Sadiq joins a tight ends room that is now brimming with talent. Mason Taylor, last year’s second-rounder (42nd overall) out of LSU and Jeremy Ruckert, their 2022 third-rounder (101st) are already there and the group will be helpful not only to new/old veteran starting QB Geno Smith but also the Breece Hall-lead running game.
What exactly will Sadiq add to the room, the offense and the ’26 Green & White?
“I think it’s versatility, speed and toughness, bro, seriously,” he said. “I think I can help in the running and passing game on top of that. I’m sure I’m on special teams as well. That’s what I did at Oregon, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I can create separation, but I can also go hit someone. Obviously, the NFL is different. I’m going to have to clean some things up. But, man, I’m going to go hit somebody. I’m not going to be scared.”
Sadiq is only the fourth Oregon player to be drafted by the Jets and the first in 20 years, since QB Kellen Clemens came to the Green & White in 2006 in Round 2. Other Ducks to become Jets through the draft were DB Reggie Grant in Round 9 of the 1978 draft and TE Blake Spence in the fifth round in 1998.
And the choice may well extend the Green & White’s track record of taking good to very good TEs in Round 1. Johnny Mitchell got the ball rolling in 1992 and was followed by Kyle Brady in 1996, Anthony Becht in 2000 and Dustin Keller in 2008.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
-
Massachusetts4 minutes agoThe Arc of Massachusetts recognizes Vanna Howard as 2026 Legislator of the Year
-
Minnesota10 minutes agoNuggets-Timberwolves takeaways: Jaden McDaniels backs up his talk, as Minnesota dominates Game 3 with defense
-
Mississippi16 minutes agoFederal relief available for Mississippi farmers impacted by ongoing drought
-
Missouri22 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for April 23, 2026
-
Montana28 minutes agoMontana Student Loan Assistance Program Preserves Family Farms and Ranches
-
Nebraska34 minutes agoSergeant Mad Bear Recreation Area opens in Gretna
-
Nevada40 minutes agoHistoric Nevada elementary school to close this summer
-
New Hampshire46 minutes agoBank Robber, Sexual Assaulter, With 40-Plus Year Criminal History, Wanted On Parole Violation: NH DOC