Despite having just five career starts under his belt during his time with the UCLA Bruins as a true freshman, quarterback Dante Moore was on point right away starting off the 2025 season with the Oregon Ducks. He diced up Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State with ease before what was seen as his biggest test of the season against Penn State in Week 5.
He passed that test with flying colors in Happy Valley, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a double overtime victory. He was in the lead to be the Heisman Trophy winner, showcasing himself as a ready-made NFL draft prospect when the time comes.
ESPN analyst Jordan Reid broke down Moore strengths on Tuesday, raving about how comfortable he looked for much of the 2025 season.
“From his footwork to his release, Moore is a natural in every aspect of the position,” Reid wrote. “He distributes the ball in a timely, efficient manner with his smooth, effective throwing motion. Moore is an underrated athlete but uses his mobility only as a last resort. He has a wealth of experience with the progression-based concepts that will be asked of him in the NFL. And with 20 career starts, he’s on track to shoot past the 30-start threshold many teams prefer for quarterback prospects.”
His return to Oregon for one more season was widely viewed as the correct move for one big reason: he struggled against the Indiana Hoosiers in two games and looked completely out of sorts for much of their matchup in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
In short, he still needs work despite likely being a top two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if he had decided to declare. Reid said as such, noting several things that Moore needs to improve upon before making the move to the pros.
“Evaluators want to see Moore become more consistent against top-tier defenses,” Reid wrote. “He also struggled when plays went off-kilter, as his overall process got sped up and his effectiveness dwindled. Defenses that hit Moore early can get him to become timid as games go on. Speaking of which, scouts would like to see him take more shots and be more forceful with his arm in testing tight windows. Several times on tape Moore was too patient and not aggressive enough, passing over open targets in deeper parts of the field for more comfortable throws underneath.”
By the end of the season, Moore had completed 71.8% of his passes, a far cry from his 53.5% completion percentage with the Bruins across nine appearances. But there were clear moments when he didn’t necessarily push the envelope with throws down field as Reid mentioned, opting to check it down to his playmakers underneath.
At the college level, there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when he’s putting the ball in the hands of the likes of Dakorien Moore, Kenyon Sadiq, Malik Benson and Dierre Hill Jr. But the next step is standing in the face of pressure and delivering against the best opponents in the nation.
And if he can revise those aspects of his game, adding to his natural, easy passing ability and strong decision-making compass, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Ducks’ passer to separate himself from the pack of draft-eligible quarterbacks in 2027 and become the top overall pick — while leading Oregon to loads of victories along the way.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: ESPN analyst notes Ducks QB Dante Moore’s strengths and weaknesses