“Dan Lanning knows quarterbacks based on his track record, and they love Dante Moore.” That’s what On3‘s J.D. PicKell said about the QB1 situation at Oregon. Lanning paid him $341K, and he sat out for one season while backing up Dillon Gabriel in 2024. However, the HC has not had it easy in narrowing down his QB1. Moore is the favorite, yes. But that doesn’t mean his competitors aren’t giving him a tough fight for the spot.

Lanning got lucky with Moore in his second attempt at recruiting him. The QB then came off a productive season at UCLA, with 1,610 yards and 11 TDs. He was the No. 10 prospect overall in the portal and the No. 3 ranked QB. At Oregon, Moore thought it wise to sit out for one season and take charge in the next. However, the QB1 race was not one where he could shine throughout. So far, there have been instances of Austin Novosad also proving his worth. And now, even Luke Moga seems to be upping his game.

In the spring scrimmage, Moga seemed to perform surprisingly well. However, the dual-threat QB, who threw for 2,258 yards and rushed for 657 as a high school junior, does not seem good enough to be a backup to Moore. “I had him as my QB standout,” Insider Eric Skopil told Locked On Ducks’ (Oregon) Spencer McLaughlin. “

“That doesn’t mean I think he’s the best quarterback on this roster. I still think Dante is [the starting QB]; I don’t think he’s better than Austin, probably ultimately in terms of, I don’t know, the passing parts are still concerning,” Skopil added.

Moga was rarely included in conversations about the QB race, but his performance in the spring game has people looking at him. “People want to rip on Will Stein for play calling and whatever, the development of Moga and the development of quarterbacks in general. Like a ton of credit to that guy. Just think about the growth we’ve seen. This was like, again, a guy who was like skipping target practice, like 20, 25 yard throws last year,” Skopil remarked about Moga. So eye-catching was his performance that he was named the Ducks Wire MVP of the game.

However, his role is slated to be below Moore in the QB room. “I think the good news [is], if you’re an Oregon fan, is this won’t be your guy. And I’m not saying that as any slight to him, but this is still a very much a work-in-progress prospect,” Skopil noted. The best-case scenario is that Moga stands to give Novosad a contest for the backup role. But his troubling practice insights from before still bring hesitancy into the mix. It will take time for him to solidify his role in the position under Dante Moore, who seems to be rising up the ranks of the Heisman Trophy favorites.

Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy odds are on the rise

Oregon QBs have repeatedly featured in the lineup for the Heisman Trophy recently. Bo Nix was there, and so was Dillon Gabriel. The quality of QBs that Dan Lanning has created at Oregon is making people stop, think, and consider. JD PicKell was hopeful of Moore being a solid Heisman contender, too. He jumped in on On3‘s Kaiden Smith’s prediction and said, “Hey, go ahead and lump me into that. Let’s both go in on Dante Moore being a Heisman finalist because I think he’s going to be that good.”

PicKell and Smith are not very far off from reality as well. On FanDuel Sportsbook, Moore has moved up some places in the run-up to the Heisman Trophy. His betting odds have increased by 1900, placing him in the 9 spot. That’s still a very good position for a QB, who doesn’t have that impressive of a resume compared to his contemporaries. That list includes veterans like Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik. Moore has just played his freshman season formally and is yet to give his Oregon career a solid start.

Oregon’s spring game was an eye-opener for a lot of reasons. The defense looked extra promising, and Moga made it a point to outshine his QB1 contemporaries. Despite him standing out in the game, it doesn’t look like he’ll make that spot. But even with him as a probable QB2, Moore, a serious Heisman contender, will have reason to worry.