The offseason is quiet, but Oregon’s buzz is still loud. Most analysts slot the Ducks inside the Top 10, but Joel Klatt takes it a step further, putting them at No. 4. His message is loud and clear: Don’t sleep on their new QB, Dante Moore. “I think Dante Moore is a dark horse Heisman candidate,” Klatt said. With Moore leading Will Stein’s offense, the fit feels right, like a lock and key. The talent is definitely there, and the spotlight? It’s absolutely coming his way.

Being the QB at Oregon isn’t for the faint of heart, especially following stars like Marcus Mariota, Joey Harrington, Bo Nix, and Dillon Gabriel. Now, it’s Dante Moore’s turn, but his path hasn’t been typical. This 5-star recruit initially committed to Oregon, then flipped to UCLA, even starting for the Bruins as a true freshman. Oddly enough, he later hit the portal and landed back at Oregon, arriving less than two weeks after Dillon Gabriel did. Moore ended up sitting behind the experienced Gabriel as backup—a wild, almost unprecedented backward step for a Power 4 starter. But now, it seems his time to lead the Ducks’ offense is finally here. Is his path clear? An Oregon insider just spilled the beans…Moore could face a double threat!

On the May 9th episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, Bud Elliott brought on Duck Territory’s Matt Prehm to break down Oregon’s 2025 outlook. Naturally, the quarterback question took center stage. When asked if Dante Moore is “the guy,” Prehm didn’t exactly slam the table. “Probably,” he replied. Why the hesitation?

Prehm explained, “I think when I watched the spring game and then went back and rewatched it, Dante Moore, he didn’t do anything to say, like, he shouldn’t be the odds-on favorite, the more, like, the most likely candidate to win the job. He looked good.” So, a cautious endorsement, but an endorsement nonetheless.

Matt Prehm kept it real when he broke down Oregon’s spring game, warning fans not to overreact. Why? Because you’ve got to take those spring game performances—the defensive standouts, the offense’s so-called successes or struggles—with a big grain of salt. As Prehm himself put it, “You’ve got matchups that just will never happen.” Think about it: like a third-string left tackle going up against a starting-caliber edge rusher who plays significant snaps in the regular season. Naturally, that backup’s going to get beaten. It’s just spring ball chaos, not always a true reflection of what you’ll see when the real games start.

However, even amidst that chaos, Matt Prehm saw exactly what he needed to see from Dante Moore this spring. Prehm stated, “I think he showed a lot. I think he showed improvement, better command. He’s going to be the odds-on favorite to win the job.” But wait, not so fast…

Beyond Moore, a real quarterback battle is brewing at Oregon. “But I walked away saying Austin Novosad and Luke Moga, in particular, have gotten better—significantly—and they are capable, in my opinion, of leading this team, and Oregon could win 9 or 10 regular season games with either of those guys at the helm,” the Oregon reporter added. Simply put, Moore’s job isn’t locked up just yet. With Austin Novosad and Luke Moga on the rise, the competition is heating up in Eugene. But when it comes to reaching that next level, Prehm is clear.

“Now, to get to the 12-0 discussion point, or to get to the clear-cut, ‘Hey, you didn’t win the league, but you’re 100% in the playoffs’ discussion—I think Dante Moore is going to be the guy that elevates them to that level,” he said. So, the ceiling? Sky high. And Moore might be the only one who can reach it. Now, while Oregon’s QB situation starts to take shape, Georgia’s Kirby Smart just dropped a $2 million curveball on Dan Lanning.

Oregon’s HC could be facing a major setback

The race for 5-star phenom Jackson Cantwell is heating up—and Oregon is in the thick of it. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class has narrowed his choices to four: Miami, OSU, Georgia, and Oregon. But here’s the twist—Kirby Smart just made a bold move that could tilt the scales. Georgia’s aggressive pitch for the $2M NIL-valued prospect could throw a wrench in the momentum of Dan Lanning’s surging Ducks, even with Phil Knight’s NIL power backing them.

Generally, money talks—but friendship might speak louder. Jackson Cantwell is sending signals that could spell trouble for Oregon. After pushing back his April 30 commitment, Cantwell is now circling back to Georgia. And with UGA QB commit Jared Curtis trading cryptic messages with him online, the writing might be on the wall. The two have chemistry, and Curtis could be the X-factor pulling Cantwell to Athens. Now, with an unofficial visit set for this weekend, Kirby Smart is rolling out the red carpet—and Dan Lanning may be watching his top target slip away.

However, “The good thing about that for me is that it is very, very similar across all four teams among my finalists,” Jackson Cantwell said. Translation? NIL won’t be the deal-breaker. “That will not affect my decision… so that’s something that is not going to get in the way.” So, with money off the table, it’s now all about fit, trust, and vision. Although Georgia and Oregon are in a dead heat, Kirby Smart’s late push—and a budding bond with Jared Curtis—could give the Dawgs the edge. Buckle up. The race to land Cantwell is down to the wire.