Torres' Take: What a Commitment From QB Dante Moore Would Mean For Oregon Football
Oregon just wrapped up its biggest recruiting weekend of the summer thus far, a weekend that featured numerous five-star prospects. The headliner of that group was Martin Luther King (Detroit, MI) quarterback Dante Moore, who made his way back to Eugene for an unofficial after taking his official visit back in the spring.
When news broke that Moore was returning to campus on such a big weekend, anticipation naturally built about a possible commitment. While he hasn't set a date to make his decision, it's likely that one is coming sooner rather than later.
So this begs the question: what would a commitment from Moore mean for Oregon?
For starters, Moore would instantly become the highest-rated quarterback to commit to Oregon out of high school, a distinction that currently belongs to redshirt freshman Ty Thompson, who was the crown jewel of the 2021 signing class. Landing a player of Moore's caliber (0.9942 on 247Sports Composite) creates instant momentum that would catch fire on the recruiting trail.
We saw the same thing happen two cycles ago following Thompson's commitment, as the Ducks soared to never before seen heights in talent acquisition, inking the country's No. 7 (according to 247Sports) recruiting class in a record-setting year.
RELATED: 2023 QB Avery Johnson places Oregon in top schools, sets commitment date
Now in 2023, the Ducks have already done some great work on the offensive side of the ball, landing verbal commitments from elite playmakers like wide receiver Jurrion Dickey and running back Dante Dowdell. If Moore hops in the boat, elite players will want to follow him. It's no secret that talent attracts and talent and adding a strong signal caller will make the Ducks even more attractive to offensive linemen and skill players.
One recruit that comes to mind is Florida running back Richard Young, who took his official visit alongside Moore and took handoffs from the quarterback during a photoshoot.
Richard Young (L) and Dante Moore (R)
Well, that could very well become the reality as the Ducks look to be the team to beat for the Detroit passer and could even be reaching the same status with Young, who some view as an Alabama lean.
It's worth noting that fellow Florida running back Cedric Baxter Jr. has also emerged as a top target for the Crimson Tide and has been outspoken in his mutual interest. Carlos Locklyn has shown he can hang with the heavy hitters of college football, and getting Young's final official over Ohio State is nothing to scoff at.
Now back to Moore.
Not only would his commitment create the aforementioned domino effect, it would also be a massive win for Dan Lanning and company-- more specifically Kenny Dillingham. A reality in college football is that you need top-tier quarterback play to compete for a national championship, and Oregon hasn't had that these past two seasons.
As a result, head coaches and their programs are judged, fair or not, on their ability to land and develop top quarterback talent. The reason this could be more crucial for Dillingham is because he's a younger coach and works with the position that receives the most scrutiny in the sport. With that youth has come an obviously small body of work, but now a tremendous opportunity to prove himself at his latest stop in Eugene.
The Ducks were behind the eight ball in a sense for 2023 given the timing of the coaching transition, but they've done everything they can to make up for lost time, bringing the best talent in the country to Eugene on back-to-back recruiting weekends. This staff certainly isn't making excuses, and adding Moore to this class would be a ringing endorsement of Dillingham and the vision both he and this coaching staff have for the program.
Oregon pulled out all the stops, even bringing in Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to meet Moore during his visit.
Moore's name has been closely tied to Notre Dame as well as Michigan as leaders throughout his recruitment, but now it looks like the Ducks could be on the verge of some serious fireworks in 2023.
*WATCH DANTE MOORE HIGHLIGHTS*
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