Dillon Gabriel’s mentorship has Dante Moore primed to be Oregon’s next great quarterback

LOS ANGELES – The way Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson described a throw he had seen during a recent practice caused several pairs of eyes to bulge during the Rose Bowl media day event earlier this week. Johnson, whose affability and talkativeness were among the main attractions at the Sheraton Grand on Monday morning, said he had witnessed a “no-look, 60-yard bomb” after which the quarterback who threw it retreated giddily “like if I were Steph Curry.” “, the Golden State Warriors’ convention-defying point guard, known in part for taking deep shots and then going the other way, without even looking to see the ball go through the net. Such is the confidence of a player who has made more three-pointers than anyone in NBA history.

At first glance, it would be easy to assume Johnson was referencing starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a high-profile transfer from Oklahoma who became a Heisman Trophy finalist this season and holds the NCAA records for touchdowns (187) and openings (62). ) as his dazzling six-year stint in college football nears its end. Gabriel, who spent three years at UCF and two at Oklahoma, will enter the Rose Bowl rematch with Ohio State ninth in the country in passing yards (3,558), tied for 10th in touchdown passes (28) and tied in second place in completion percentage. (73.2%). He has guided the Ducks to a 13-0 record, including a win in the Big Ten Championship game.

Dillon Gabriel has helped guide Oregon to a perfect 13-0 record heading into the Duck’s CFP quarterfinal matchup against Ohio State.

But Johnson guaranteed that the player who threw such a mind-blowing pass will be among the Heisman Trophy finalists next season, in 2025, which immediately removed Gabriel from the conversation. “One hundred percent,” Johnson deadpanned when asked about his lofty claim. That’s how good Oregon backup quarterback Dante Moore really thinks he is.

“It’s something we haven’t seen yet,” said Johnson, who also recalled moments in which Moore made side-arm passes between the heads of Oregon’s offensive linemen. “That guy can throw a ball like no other. I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s so ready. He’s so ready to play… You can ask anyone about Dante Moore and how he throws the ball and see what they say. The guy has talent.”

So talented, in fact, that Moore ranked nearly 70 spots higher than Gabriel on the 247Sports transfer portal last winter as both players sought new destinations, a byproduct of the former’s youth and potential. Moore had been the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect and No. 3 quarterback for the 2023 recruiting cycle, a player so coveted by blue blood programs that former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh offered the Detroit native a scholarship in eighth grade. He spent five months committed to Oregon over the summer and fall of 2022 before transferring to UCLA during the initial signing period, ultimately making nine appearances and five starts for the Bruins as a true freshman last year. His decision to transfer came shortly after UCLA’s regular season ended with a deflating loss to California, and Moore committed to Oregon within a week. Gabriel joined the program five days later after avoiding the opportunity to enter the NFL Draft.

The fact that Oregon was able to land and retain both quarterbacks underscores how adeptly head coach Dan Lanning and his staff are handling player acquisition in the modern era, a herculean task that requires as much foresight and financial backing as it does skill. in recruitment. In Gabriel, the Ducks got one of the most experienced communicators in college football history and a player capable of leading them deep into the College Football Playoff. In Moore, they added one of the most coveted freshman quarterbacks in the portal to ensure that life after Gabriel included a seamless transition. The work Gabriel has done mentoring Moore behind the scenes is one of the reasons Oregon’s future is extremely bright, regardless of what happens against Ohio State or during the rest of this year’s College Football Playoff.

“The most important thing for me in the portal [was] preparation and development,” Moore told FOX Sports. “I felt like I needed to find a great place that could prepare me for my near future. When I arrived at the portal, I knew immediately that I was coming here. I committed to Oregon in high school. I knew the staff very well, I already knew the players on the team, so I felt comfortable coming in. But the most important thing for me is to prepare for the future and develop myself.”

While a comparison can be made between the pecking order at Oregon and the quarterback depth chart at Ohio State, where the Buckeyes added veteran Kansas State transfer Will Howard as their star and signed the five-star transfer from Alabama, Julian Sayin, going forward, the differentiating factor is how much Moore played during his lone season at UCLA. While Sayin was just a month into his college career as an early enrollee, Moore logged more than 400 snaps for the Bruins as a part-time starter, finishing the year with 1,610 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. With that amount of experience and a five-star recruiting pedigree, it would have been easy for Moore to choose a new program that guaranteed him the starting job in 2024. Just as it would have been easy for him to renege on his promise to Oregon. once Gabriel entered the fold.

Instead, Moore and Gabriel have become thieves during their only season together in Eugene, despite the latter maintaining an unbreakable stranglehold on playing time. They have stayed together on every road trip, including the Rose Bowl, as well as nights at the Oregon team hotel before home games at Autzen Stadium. Those experiences, Moore said, are filled with collaborative filmmaking breakdowns and endless discussions about the importance of routine preparation on and off the field. The leadership lessons he’s learned from Gabriel have helped Moore step up during team meetings, where Johnson said the sophomore now teaches the entire offense like a seasoned pro. All of the quarterbacks on the Ducks roster gather for movie nights, golf outings and video game sessions that provide additional settings for Gabriel to impart pearls of wisdom to his younger backups.

“Connection is one of the traits in our DNA,” Lanning said. “And I think it really shows with those [two] guys, how they operate day in and day out in practice. One thing both guys do a phenomenal job of, as does everyone on our team, is spending time with their teammates outside of football and working to create those moments.”

Although Moore has only made four appearances all season, none of which exceeded 13 plays in a single game, everything about the 2024 campaign is unfolding the way he expected when he left UCLA last winter: from the improvements which he did under offensive coordinator Will. Stein, who is now considered one of the brightest minds in the sport, to the continuing education he receives from Gabriel, to Oregon’s pursuit of the first national championship in program history, which will continue Wednesday against Ohio State.

Moore knows he is helping Oregon bridge the gap between Gabriel and the world beyond. And soon enough, you’ll have the opportunity to unleash 60-yard bombs without looking.

“He believed in Coach Lanning and the program he was building,” Gabriel said, “and the people who are already here and the track record of the people he brings or has brought. I think Dante is right where he needs to be. “. be.”

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]