Oregon HC Dan Lanning Sends Warning to Dante Moore Before Season
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The Oregon Ducks enter the upcoming season with more hype than they've ever had under head coach Dan Lanning, and maybe the most since Marcus Mariota played his final season in Eugene in 2014.
The Ducks have never won a national championship, but with quarterback Dante Moore returning and a veteran defense, the team has one of the best rosters in college football this year.
Lanning is expecting the experience Oregon has this fall to pay dividends, and especially so at quarterback. During the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on Wednesday, Lanning sent a warning to Moore, noting that how he plays under center this season will determine how far the team can go.
"Where he's really grown as a leader, you know, that's really shown up this offseason," Lanning said, via USA Today. "What he's been able to do away and off the field is extremely impressive.
"The impact he's made on the community, the impact he's made on his teammates. But I'd love to see it all come together. And I think we go as our quarterback goes, right? And he's certainly in a special position to help create that and make us a special team this year."
How the offensive line protects Moore could be just as important, but regardless, his play in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Indiana was not good. He threw for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, the lone interception being a pick-6 on the first play of the game. He also lost two fumbles.
Like the rest of the team, Lanning wants to see Moore become a much better player than he was last season.
"I have the same expectation for Dante that I have in every player on our team," Lanning said.
"It's to grow and continue to get better, you know. And Dante understands the specifics of that. I won't get into the specifics of that, but this is a guy that's worn a lot of hats in our program."
For Moore, there's added risk this season. He likely would have been a top 5 pick had he entered the 2026 draft. If Oregon makes and wins the national championship, he'll likely be the No. 1 pick next year.
If Moore doesn't show improvement, he could fall in a talented draft at the quarterback position.
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