Just imagine Autzen Stadium roaring, and Dante Moore stepping onto the field with swagger, everyone’s eyes are glued to him. He’s Oregon’s pick to lead the offense, a former five-star recruit with arm talent, size, and the backing of fans who believe he can be a Heisman contender. But hold up, before you start mapping out playoff dreams, let us put this up, there’s already talk about whether he’ll actually finish the season as QB1.

Here’s what makes it spicy. Moore’s brought promise, sure. He transferred from UCLA, where he tossed 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2023. In his limited action for Oregon last year, he completed 87.5 % of his passes, albeit just eight attempts, for 49 yards, with zero picks. No doubt that the hype is real, but whispers emerge that this ride might not be a smooth finish.

And it’s coming from Spencer McLaughlin, who’s seen enough to believe there’s a real chance Moore could lose the job before the season wraps up. “I’m at a nine on a 10-to-11 win season part of it, but Dante doesn’t finish the year,” McLaughlin said in a recent episode of Locked on Ducks. “I can see a scenario where Dante Moore doesn’t start at the end of the year because I’ve seen him do it in his career where he plays poorly enough to where you’d put the backup in,” he added.

This isn’t about just one game. McLaughlin pointed out that even if Oregon goes into a heavyweight clash at No. 2 Penn State and Moore lays an egg, that wouldn’t be the trigger to bench him. “If Dante Moore goes out and Oregon’s 4-0, meaning they’re in the top 10 because they’re number seven in the AP poll. They’re 4-0 going to number two Penn State and then lays an egg. That’s not the game where you pull him.”

McLaughlin walked fans through a scenario. “If he goes three straight games with multiple turnovers and it’s resulting in Oregon losses and, you know, a couple of them have been returned for touchdowns, yeah. Then you probably give Austin Novosad a spell and see what he can do at quarterback,” he said. The competition is real. Austin Novosad, the redshirt freshman, is pushing Dante hard for that QB1 role this fall. Moore might be the presumed starter now, but it’s not a done deal. Plus, head coach Dan Lanning is dealing with some curveballs on the roster.

Dan Lanning’s depth chart disrupted by early setbacks

First up, Trey McNutt. The five-star safety who looked like he’d be an immediate game-changer has a broken right leg from fall camp, expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. His absence leaves Oregon without one of its most physically gifted freshmen in the secondary. Standing 6 feet and weighing around 195 pounds, McNutt was lined up to make an immediate impact in the secondary.

Then, there’s Jurrion Dickey. The redshirt sophomore wideout, once hailed as a future star, is now suspended following reported altercations with teammates or staff. His production has been minimal, just a couple of catches over his entire career, but he was expected to step into a larger role after losing Evan Stewart to injury. Now, his future is in limbo.

Head coach Dan Lanning has been through roster turbulence before, and his calm approach will be tested again here. The Ducks have plenty of depth with Dillon Thieneman, Na’eem Offord, Jeremiah McClellan, and other newcomers ready to step in. So the problem is not that big, but roster shuffle often impacts the team’s performance when it matters the most. However, Lanning is a renowned and experienced coach, and it would be interesting to see how he manages all these shake-ups when the season kicks off.