Dan Lanning is soaring as one of college football’s finest coaches, nationally ranked in the top 10 by major publications. He has achieved at least 10 victories per season during his first three seasons for the Ducks, hitting a high of 13 last season and guiding the Ducks to the Big Ten championship with an undefeated league slate. It hasn’t always been smooth going, however. The Ducks have experienced some roughing on the recruiting trail, most glaringly losing a pledge from five-star edge rusher Richard Wesley, who decommitted after only 17 days. However, Lanning’s reputation as a recruiter remains intact, and his reputation as a motivator does too. And quarterbacks? Let’s take a moment to discuss the great question of 2025: Who is taking snaps?
With Dillon Gabriel off to the professional ranks, everyone’s attention turns to Dante Moore. Moore transferred in from UCLA, and though he didn’t play much at all last year, the buzz is genuine—FanDuel even has him listed as an early Heisman candidate. But the QB room isn’t Moore’s alone. Austin Novosad is in there battling it out, too, having remained at Oregon rather than entering the transfer portal, and he’s competing for the starting role.
On the May 28th episode of ‘Locked on Ducks, Spencer McLaughlin broke down the QB situation this year. He states, “I think there will be a solid amount of leash for Dante Moore as Oregon’s starting quarterback.” He adds, “I think Novosad doesn’t quite have the experience, but overall is a pretty high-end backup option.” The pressure cooker is officially on for Dante Moore in Eugene, and you can sense it humming in all Ducks talk these days. Oregon fans have watched this film before. Moore experienced a rollercoaster at UCLA last season: he began, got benched after a dismal three-game stretch, and then sat while another player took the field. Now he’s got a clean slate, but the patience in Eugene isn’t infinite.
Throw Austin Novosad into the mix. Novosad isn’t any mere backup riding the pine—he’s a legitimate threat. The guy has almost 8,983 career passing yards, which is to say he’s got experience, poise, and a thorough knowledge of the offense. He also hung around rather than bolting into the transfer portal, which shows volumes of his confidence and his dedication to the Ducks. McLaughlin also points out the Texas incident to support his argument. At Texas, Quinn Ewers was the man, taking Texas to consecutive playoff appearances, but when he did have a slump, everyone was looking over his shoulder at Arch Manning, the superstar backup with the legendary last name. Fans picked apart each throw Ewers did, and the pressure only continued to mount because they knew that there was a five-star phenom on the bench. That is what is currently happening with Moore and Novosad.
“If Dante Moore struggles for multiple weeks at a time, like let’s say Oregon, you know beats Oklahoma State,” Spencer says. He adds, “But Dante Moore plays poorly, and it’s just run game and defense carrying him. And then they go to Northwestern, and it doesn’t look very good, and then Oregon State comes to town, and it starts to really look bad. If they still don’t go to Novosad.” He continues, “There, I think that’ll tell you number one, they believe in Dante Moore and are going to allow him to grow, and number two, Nova might not be as far along as we all think in our heads because it is imaginary at this point when you’re talking about what Novosad’s potential actually is on the field.”
Keep in mind, Moore’s got that five-star background, and he learned last season’s system behind Dillon Gabriel, which one Big Ten coach recently described as a huge benefit for him. Oregon’s got an exploitable early schedule, so they may be content to let Moore get his rhythm going, understanding that patience could reward them big down the line. If Novosad is not getting the start when Moore is struggling, then most likely, Novosad is not as prepared as we all envision.
Sure, it’s easy to get excited about the backup, particularly one who has close to 9,000 career passing yards—but until he demonstrates it in actual games, it’s all potential and projection. The coaches get to see these guys day in and day out in practice, so if they’re holding with Moore, then that means that Novosad may not be shining in practice or isn’t as far along with learning the offense as we perceive.
Why is Dante Moore’s margin for error slim in the B1G?
The buzz on Moore is legitimate—he’s a five-star player, he’s the key to Oregon’s offense, and Dan Lanning is placing a heavy bet on him to replace Dillon Gabriel. But the Big Ten isn’t so brutal just due to the defenses; it’s loaded with some ultra-elite quarterbacks who might overshadow Moore if he does not start strong. There’s Drew Allar at Penn State. This guy not only has big stats to hold onto—he’s got the experience, the polish, and the battle wounds from competing in big games. Allar could have gone pro but opted to return for one more ride, which speaks volumes about how much he wants to solidify his legacy.
Then there’s Nico Iamaleava, who just moved to UCLA. With all the off-field drama, his stats at Tennessee were crazy—more than 2,616 yards and 19 TDs. He has that playmaker feel, and while UCLA’s offense may be a notch down, Nico’s skill cannot be denied. Don’t sleep on Dylan Raiola, either. He’s the redshirt freshman going to man the show at Nebraska, and though he remains untested at the college level, the buzz is going crazy. If he performs even half as promised, he can be a star and another player Moore must be concerned about.
So, what does this mean for Dante Moore? In essence, the room for error is paper-thin. He’s got to not only perform—he’s got to outduel some of the nation’s top young QBs if he’s going to be the face of the B1G and keep Oregon in the mix for the playoffs. Any slip, any wobbly game, and those other guys are waiting to strike and take the spotlight. The heat’s on, and Moore’s going to have to show he’s more than just hype if he’s going to continue to sustain his dream season.
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