Evaluation: 2023 Oregon Ducks Quarterback Commit Dante Moore
Oregon flexed its national brand yet again by going all the way out to Michigan to find their quarterback of the future in 2023 passer Dante Moore. Moore's play has captivated audiences since he stepped on the field as a freshman, and he was recently named SI All-American Elite 11 MVP, an event that pins the nation's best quarterbacks against each other over three days.
Dante Moore is the highest rated quarterback commit in Oregon program history.
Dante Moore on Instagram (@dantemoore05)/Graphic:Dylan Reubenking
But what makes him such a special talent?
Bryan Driskell, publisher of Fan Nation's Irish Breakdown tells you just that with this thorough breakdown.
Eval
ARM STRENGTH — The part of Moore's game that I think is most underrated is his arm strength. I love how the ball jumps out of Moore's hand, and it's only going to get better as he develops more weight room strength in his upper and lower bodies.
When given the opportunity Moore thrives in the two areas that arm strength is most important - the deep ball and the ability to power throws down the field and to the perimeter of the defense. His release is effortless and the ball gets up and down in a hurry, dropping over the defense and into the arms of his receivers with impressive accuracy.
MECHANICS — Moore has outstanding mechanics. He's a poised passer with an extremely quick release and an easily repeatable delivery. No matter what situation Moore finds himself, whether he's at the top of his drop, he's stepping into the pocket or he's on the run, Moore is able to get the ball out quickly and with authority.
Moore can lengthen his delivery when he needs to and he can effectively change arm speed when needed, and his accuracy never takes a hit in either situation.
Part of what makes him an effective thrower is the consistency of his release point. Moore is able to throw the ball with different arm angles and in the face of pressure, but in each instance his release point is clean and pure. He also shows much-needed accuracy and the ability to throw the ball with good velocity on the run.
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ACCURACY/INTANGIBLES — Moore is an extremely accurate quarterback that has completed over 70% of his passes for his entire career. When you consider Moore started going all the way back to his freshman season it makes his numbers even more impressive.
Moore didn't earn an elite grade for his accuracy because of his completion percentage, he earned it due to his impeccable understanding of where to put the ball and his ball placement as a thrower. This is where Moore's feel for the game makes him such a dangerous weapon.
Throughout his career Moore also showed himself to be an a winner, which means he is often at his best in the biggest moments, and when he has to put his team on his shoulders and lead them to victory he can, no matter the magnitude of the game. Those traits are just as important, if not more so, than his physical tools.
ATHLETIC SKILLS-RUNNING ABILITY — Moore is a quality athlete that can run but he's in no way a runner. He is more of an athletic pocket passer that uses his athleticism to extend plays long enough for his arm to make a play. His ability to throw with accuracy and power on the run makes him dangerous in these off-script situations.
He's athletic enough to pull the ball and get around the edge on read zones and to run the occasional power-read type of play.
I'm not asking for Moore to become a dual-threat quarterback, because that's not his game. I'm simply looking for him to be more willing to use his athleticism as a way to take some of the pressure off the run game, and doing so also takes some of the pressure off the pass game.
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