Nobody debuts into a major conference the way Dan Lanning did with Oregon last year. He went unbeaten in the regular season and also clinched the Big 10 championship. However, their fairytale campaign was stopped short at the playoffs. A major reason for all these feats in just one season, that too his first at the Big 10, was Dillon Gabriel. The QB, with just one season remaining, made the move to Eugene and took it to a position that few assign to newcomers. Now that he is gone, Dan Lanning has a plan in place to ensure the QB room functions smoothly.

Gabriel arrived in Eugene to end his career on a high note. Before his Oregon debut, he already had 14,865 yards under his belt. Lanning was getting a right phenom in his hands. His departure brings forward a talented but inexperienced trio of QBs – Dante Moore, Austin Novosad, and Luke Moga – who are fighting to be named Gabriel’s successor. It won’t be easy to fill in for a QB who was simply brilliant at the role, and was a key unit of the machinery that got Oregon to its glorious position last year. But Lanning revealed his strategy to shape the successor of his famed QB1.

He said in a June 30 appearance on Big 10 Football, “I think we got a group of guys that we can win with. There’s a lot of talk about Dante Moore, Austin Novosad, Luke Moga. All those guys have done a great job of learning our system, being a part of it. They got an opportunity to watch a great quarterback last year in Dylan.” Lanning had already had Moore transfer from UCLA just to sit out one whole year to observe Gabriel. Novosad and Moga also did the same as Oregon recruits. All three potential successors were soaking up everything they could from Gabriel in that one season.

“I think they all learned, you know, a considerable amount from each one of, you know, from him and from their experience here so far,” Lanning added. Throughout spring ball, all of the QBs have shown potential. Dante Moore is the projected winner of the race, but Novosad and Moga are not far off either. The winner of the race and the backup options now exist in a hierarchy that still has potential. There were times when Moore fell short in spring ball, and Novosad or Moga picked up. Moore comes in as the most experienced man in the group. But the jury is still out on whether he will be able to carry on the mantle from Gabriel this season.

Meanwhile, Novosad is in no mood to concede the race to Moore.

Austin Novosad is firm on competing for Dan Lanning’s stamp of approval for QB1

Austin Novosad has been with the program for four years. These days, players are jumping ship before they even sign with the program, on signing day. Guys like Novosad become glitches in the matrix, who continue to stay loyal to their program. “That’s just who I am. I’m a competitor. And I love the program. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to be in a program where I thought that I had to. Where I could showcase my ability and set myself up for the future,” the QB said in June to AP aS wE C it A.P. Steadham.

Novosad was limited to clean-up duties in the last few seasons. But for the first time in his career, the playing field has widened for him to also compete for a spot. There are no more greats like Bo Nix or Gabriel in the picture. The slate is clean once again at Eugene, for a new QB1 to continue their legacy. Novosad has been with this system longer than his other competitors. He has the arm and the skill to be considered a viable option. In Oregon’s spring game this offseason, the QB completed 11 of his 19 passes, threw for 143 yards, and made one interception.

Novosad has waited a long while behind the scenes, but has observed a lot about previous quarterbacks. He has seen not one, but two brilliant QBs bring so much attention to the program. Will he be able to shock everyone and ultimately carry on their legacy as QB1? How efficient will Dan Lanning’s QB room strategy turn out to be?