The Oregon Ducks head into their bitter rivalry game with the Oregon State Beavers on a winning streak after crushing all comers so far in the 2025 college football season. Behind their success this fall is Dante Moore, a former transfer quarterback experiencing a breakout campaign that has drawn comparisons to elite college football passer and first-round pick, C.J. Stroud.
How Dante Moore Went From UCLA Letdown to Oregon Breakout
Moore’s college football journey is a cautionary tale on placing unnecessary expectations and pressure on a student-athlete in their early years of the collegiate experience. A five-star high school recruit, he was viewed as the number one player in Michigan and the number three quarterback in a 2023 class containing Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, and Jackson Arnold.
After committing to UCLA, Moore was thrust into the fire as a true freshman, leading to suboptimal results at a program that has continually regressed. Playing in nine games in 2023, he completed just 53.5% of his passes, threw nine interceptions to 11 touchdowns, with just 1,610 passing yards, resulting in a 70.1 PFSN College QBi score that ranked 130th in the nation.
At the conclusion of the season, Moore opted to enter the transfer portal, citing a desire to “go to a place where I can get developed.” For the young quarterback, one place offered that potential more than any other.
Oregon reinvented Bo Nix as a legitimate college football star and ultimately turned him into a first-round NFL Draft pick, having been derided at Auburn. Moore had initially meant to head to Eugene out of high school, but coaching changes changed his course. The transfer portal allowed him to rekindle that relationship with the Ducks and transform his fledgling career.
The results have been mesmeric for all concerned. Moore spent most of the 2024 college football season watching and learning, drinking in the experience of Dillon Gabriel and ingesting Will Stein’s playbook, giving him the best shot to succeed when finally handed the starting reins of the program in 2025.
Through three games, he’s completed 78.1% of his pass attempts for 657 yards and seven touchdowns with just one interception. Moore’s 87.8 PFSN College QBi score ahead of Week 4 ranks 13th in the nation, a far cry from the last time he spent meaningful time in an offense. The Ducks are on a collision course with the College Football Playoff, and their quarterback is earning national attention — and an elite comparison.
Dante Moore Draws Elite Comparison to Former Ohio State Quarterback C.J. Stroud
Moore wasn’t even mentioned among the top quarterbacks in the country entering the 2025 college football season, understandably given his only full-time experience in 2023, but his performances have been noted, and his stock his rocketing exponentially right now, leading one analyst to offer up a top-tier assessment of the Ducks’ quarterback.
“The decision to patiently wait his turn has seemingly paid off, as he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in college football through September,” PFSN analyst Ian Cummings said, pointing to Moore’s showing against the Oklahoma State Cowboys as an example of his ability to leave a defense in “disarray.”
Cummings doesn’t stop there, however.
“Moore, like most, hasn’t been tested much yet this year but from a diagnostic standpoint, he bears some similarity to first-round pick and Pro Bowl passer CJ Stroud.”
As Oregon prepares for a season-long battle with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the comparison to Stroud is an eye-catching one. During his spell with the Big Ten program, the now-Houston Texans passer cemented himself as one of the best in the game.
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Stroud’s 88.6 PFSN College QBi score from the 2021 season ranks in the top 25 of all seasons by a college football quarterback in our database. Meanwhile, his 2022 outing against the Toledo Rockets remains the best single game since our database began in 2019, with a 97.6 score.
“At 6’3”, 206 pounds, their size profiles are similar,” Cummings begins as he dives into the comparison. “Like Stroud, Moore has good functional mobility but doesn’t rely on it. Both QBs have easy, effortless velocity generation and layering ability, and Moore’s accuracy has been his calling card three games in.”
“Moore also knows how to get through his progressions, and flashes legitimate anticipation over the middle of the field – though he still needs to strive for more consistency in this area.”
A third-year quarterback enjoying a breakout on the national stage, there are obviously some areas for Moore to develop. That’s why he came to Oregon in the first place. Doubters will point to a relatively easy opening to the season to counterweight his current performance. However, there is time for the Ducks quarterback to prove that his breakout is more about his talent.
“Moore is on a steep upward trajectory,” Cummings concludes, “in an Oregon offense that has an elite blocking front, dynamic weapons, and a structure conducive to NFL QB development.”
“His clash against Penn State on September 27th is a game to circle. If Moore acquits himself in that game, and helps Oregon compete or even come out on top, his stock could experience another exponential gain. The initial assumption was that Moore would be a 2027 prospect and not a 2026 prospect – but in an open class, he might be accelerating his timeline with his play.”
