For the ones still wondering what the pressure is for Dan Lanning’s QB1 for 2025, here comes some clarity. As their former quarterback, Dillon Gabriel made the 62nd start, passing former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix’s record of 61 career starts, and Penn State HC James Franklin was touched. “It seems like (Gabriel) has been playing college football for the last ten years.” While the pressure prevails, Dante Moore has to fight against Austin Novosad to fill in Gabriel’s shoes; he is likely to bag the starting role.

As analyst Spencer McLaughlin shared on the Locked on Ducks podcast, “It’s plenty feasible that Austin Novosad throughout spring football goes and pushes Dante Moore for the starting role… Oregon wanted Dante Moore more than they wanted Austin Novosad.” While the ceiling will be high for the quarterback, Moore is now making the most of his off-season, taking part in a heartfelt project. 

On June 18, On3 NIL posted about Moore hitting a huge milestone off the field. “Oregon QB Dante Moore donated $10,000 of his NIL earnings to his alma mater, Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School (MI)💚.” The quarterback posted a video on social media highlighting his return to his hometown of Detroit.

And one could feel the emotional ride that Moore had gone through from his caption that read, “for the love of the city.” Not many know that, other than being the 2023 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, Moore played youth sports in the Detroit Police Athletic League. So, it was his payback time to the football team, which played an important role in how far Moore has reached today. 

The quarterback was there in Detroit for 48 hours. So, upon his short visit, Moore was asked, “How excited are you for the season?” The quarterback replied, “It’s been too long.” Catching up with the budding football stars, Moore shared, “I just want to give you guys $10,000 to take care of jerseys, travel, food, whatever is needed.” After his visit to his high school, the quarterback spent a day reading his book to the Detroit Police Athletic kids.

During the event, he gave every child a copy of his book and signed it for them afterward. The book is based on Moore’s own journey, starting as a kid with a passion for sports and turning their dream into a reality. It revolves around themes of determination, teamwork, and collaboration. Maybe that was not enough for him.

While leaving, he left the children with a parting message. “If you have a dream, chase it. Many people think that the sky’s limit, but I say reach for the stars. I feel that as kids, we have many things going on in our minds. Have sports, 100% energy running around throughout the day. But overall, I feel that having a dream, just go ahead and chase it. Anything’s possible in this world.” Off the field, Moore is winning hearts. But on the field, too, he has caught the Heisman buzz. So, it’s obvious that his NIL stocks are going to skyrocket.

Dante Moore’s focus is on the purpose, not the fortune

While Moore is yet to take a snap in Eugene, he is yet to climb to the upper ranks of the NIL ladder. When it comes to NIL dollars in Eugene, wideout Evan Stewart sits on top with a jaw-dropping $1.1 million valuation. However, Moore has to wait for some more time to hit the million mark. The quarterback sits with an NIL valuation of $341k. Now that he is going to start for a prominent team like the Oregon Ducks, things are going to change for the better very soon. Still not convinced?

Well, for that, you need to take a look at Gabriel’s numbers. Last season, playing for the QB1 spot, he earned an NIL valuation of $1.9 million. Plus, Moore is blessed with the quarterback privilege. If we take a look at On3’s NIL valuation list, 11 of the top 12 college football players with the highest NIL valuations are quarterbacks. The only one that isn’t is Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is third on the list with a valuation of $4.2 million.

To unlock an NIL fortune, Dante Moore will need to spread magic on the gridiron. Will he be able to do it? The former five-star recruit, who transferred to Oregon after a freshman campaign at UCLA, received a strong endorsement last week from CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate. In the analyst’s power rankings of Big Ten quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season, Moore came in at No. 3, behind only Penn State’s Drew Allar and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. While we are yet to witness the quarterback’s success in the NIL, Moore’s message is loud and clear: you don’t need an NIL empire to lead with purpose.