Dante Moore brings advanced passing skills to Oregon
The nation’s top-ranked uncommitted quarterback came off the board on Friday afternoon with On3 Consensus five-star Dante Moore announcing his commitment to Oregon. The Detroit Martin Luther King standout picked the Ducks over LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas A&M, among others.
Landing Moore represents a marquee recruiting win for new Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.
On3 has extensively evaluated Moore, including multiple in-person exposures at big events this summer. Let’s get into what makes Moore a key addition for Oregon.
Polished passing skills
Dante Moore has a legitimate case as the most polished and nuanced passer in the 2023 cycle. The new Oregon commit has a fluid, natural throwing motion with strong mechanics. That strong mechanical base and smooth throwing motion is the basis for Moore’s notable consistency. He’s perhaps the most experienced top 2023 quarterback (in terms of in-game attempts) and is highly seasoned.
That polish shows up in what is perhaps the best accuracy of the 2023 quarterback prospects. Moore showed off his top notch accuracy as a top performer at both Overtime’s OT7 7-on-7 tournament and the Elite 11 Finals over the past month.
Moore excels in working in the short to intermediate passing game and is comfortable in working over the middle of the field. There’s little variance in his ball location on a throw to throw basis. He is a pure chain mover in both high school football and 7-on-7 settings. We rarely have to see receivers adjust to throws from Moore. He regularly hits his targets in stride, optimizing yards after the catch.
The accuracy was on display on day three of the Elite 11 Finals, where we saw Moore complete 16 of 18 passes for four touchdowns in 7-on-7 play. He showed the ability to steadily move the ball downfield while taking minimal risks or throwing the ball up for grabs.
Model of efficiency on Friday nights
Perhaps most importantly, Dante Moore‘s refined passing skill set shows up on Friday nights. Moore has long been considered one of the very best quarterbacks in the 2023 cycle, in large part due to his play for Martin Luther King, dating back to his freshman season.
Moore is the most efficient top passer in the 2023 cycle. He completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,047 yards (an outstanding 12.4 yards per attempt) for 40 touchdowns against just three interceptions. This came while leading Martin Luther King to a state title.
We see Moore throw a plethora of routes and concepts at MLK. He works the whole field and shows the ability to fit the ball into tight windows to different areas of the field. His on-field experience is evident as the game appeared to move slow for him as a junior.
Moore joining top skill talent at Oregon
Dante Moore joins what was already a very strong collection of skill talent in Oregon’s 2023 recruiting class. Wide receiver Jurrion Dickey (No. 35 in the On300) was On3’s top receiver at OT7 and looks like the top pass catcher on the West Coast. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has a complete game and should be primed to contribute early. Fellow On300 wide receiver commit Ashton Cozart is a big, technically refined target. On300 running back pledge Dante Dowdell out of Mississippi is one of the top backs in the cycle and brings a strong combination of size and play speed at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds.
This core of skill talent is certainly one of the better hauls in recent history for Oregon and could serve as a major building block for Dan Lanning’s tenure in Eugene.
Moving forward with Dante Moore
We expect the debate around the 2023 quarterback cycle to only intensify in the coming months.
There’s no question that Dante Moore had a strong June, along with several other top passers. Moore may not blow you away with his athleticism or frame (a shade under 6-foot-2, 210 pounds). He’s more of an in-structure quarterback than a pure playmaker at this point and may not have the flashy playmaking or movement skills of some other highly-rated peers. However, there’s something to be said for Moore’s consistency and strong showings in every setting. There’s no question the new Oregon commit has one of the highest floors in the 2023 cycle and one of the safest bets to make a notable impact at the college level.