It is incredibly difficult to replace any elite quarterback in college football, especially one who was in the running for major awards. That is the predicament the Oregon Ducks find themselves in as they navigate life without Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns this April. 

The Ducks will be having a competition to determine their quarterback for 2025, but it is widely expected that Dante Moore will be named the starter. The talented Junior transferred to Oregon after his Freshman season with the UCLA Bruins, as he now looks to follow the legacy of starting-caliber NFL quarterbacks who passed through Eugene. 

A group of writers at USA Today recently collaborated to compile the 25 best signal callers in the nation and Moore made the cut. He was ranked at No. 19, and the writers gave a detailed explanation, saying, “That he has Power Four starting experience and a comfort level in this scheme are two major advantages in his corner. Look for Moore to grab this chance and run with it to become the Ducks’ latest super-productive starter.” 

The former Bruin middled in his lone season at UCLA, but that was two seasons ago, and it is widely expected that he has developed greatly since then. This is evidenced by some of the elite talent ranked around him, such as Dylan Raiola at No. 17 and Nico Iamaleava at No. 16.

247 Sports ranked Raiola and Iamaleava second at the position in their respective recruiting classes and are now considered the class of the collegiate level. Moore has the talent and pedigree to be one of the top prospects in all of college football; it just needs to translate into tangible success for him this season. 

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dante Moore named one of the 25 best quarterbacks in college football