Class Impact: Oregon Lands Dante Moore as New Headliner of 2023 Recruiting Class

Breaking down what Dante Moore's commitment means for the Ducks on the recruiting trail and beyond.

Oregon Twitter is in the midst of an explosion following the commitment of quarterback Dante Moore to the Ducks on Friday morning. This class was already adding some solid pieces, but this is a massive step in the right direction, and one that's been long awaited by fans.

What does this addition mean for Oregon?

Impact on the recruiting trail

After missing out on a few elite passers in the 2023 class, the Ducks were starting to run out of options that were truly top-tier. Fortunately, this isn't the first rodeo for this Oregon staff. Well, it is for them as a unit, but my point is they know what they're doing.

While actively pursuing Nico Iamleava (Tennesse) and Jaden Rashada (Miami), the staff didn't put all their eggs in one basket, hosting Moore for a visit in January on a trip that flew a bit under the radar at the time. The Ducks weren't viewed as the leader, and Moore wasn't their main priority.

But now Moore is a Duck and his commitment will likely create a domino effect like we've seen with Arch Manning at Texas and Rashada at Miami. Will it happen as quickly as it did at those two schools? Maybe. I'm not going to make any promises, but the timing of this commitment lines up almost perfectly with numerous Oregon targets set to make announcements this month. 

The bigger point I want focus on is how important it was for Dan Lanning and Kenny Dillingham to find an elite quarterback in their first full recruiting cycle in Eugene. And you might as well use air quotes when saying "full", seeing that the timing was working against them.

While other staffs were wrapping up their 2022 classes in December and turning their attention to 2023, this staff was full steam ahead trying to recover from the fallout created by Mario Cristobal's departure to Miami. That meant they were a bit late getting to work pursuing a quarterback. 

And yet they were able to get it done. That sends a statement. 

Why? Because, like I've said before, classes can often be judged by the quarterback. Now would this class be a failure if they didn't land Moore? No, but it's the most important position on the field, and quarterback play has been lackluster since Justin Herbert left after the 2019 season. Championship winning teams have elite play at quarterback, it's just what you need. Georgia is the lone exception we can point to in recent years.

Furthermore, this is a RINGING endorsement of Dan Lanning and Kenny Dillingham's vision. Read what I'm about to write very closely. 

While I'm confident Dillingham will be able to breathe some life back into this offense, the fact is that he hasn't had an extensive body of work due to his youth. And when you're recruiting players, particularly quarterbacks, it's a big advantage to have past players to point to, especially at the NFL level. Think of it like, "I've done this before and I can do it again, the proof is in the pudding."

Dillingham doesn't have a whole lot of that right now aside from his time at Auburn and Florida State, but the Ducks were still able to earn the commitment in part because of the strong relationship he developed with Moore. Again, don't take that as a slight, just a reality of the situation. 

All of that to say, this Oregon staff showed they can get it done recruiting the most important position on the field, one that you need elite play from to contend for a national championship. Now the next step becomes developing the talent you have on the roster, and continuing with that once Moore gets on campus.

Now Oregon needs to get some offensive linemen in the fold for 2023, and who wouldn't want to block for Moore and play in an offense where he's running the show? 

Roster outlook

Moore won't be playing for the Ducks until, so let's fast forward through this upcoming season. I think in an ideal scenario, provided that Bo Nix starts this season, he plays one season and then tries his hand at the NFL.

That would leave the Ducks with Jay Butterfield and Ty Thompson in the quarterback room. Whether or not either of them start at any point this season remains to be seen, but they at least need to get some good playing time so they aren't so green a year from now.

Ideally those guys play enough that you feel comfortable starting one of them in 2023, and we all know how anxious fans have been to see Thompson lead this offense, especially after his recognition as a top standout at the Manning Passing Academy. Assuming at least one of them takes that next step, you add Moore into the mix hoping that he can push for the starting job (yes he's that good), but not necessarily needing him to be QB1 as a true freshman. 

As exciting of a story as that is, it's one we don't hear too often in college football.

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