Oregon’s quarterback situation is hotter than a jalapeño’s armpit. And with Dillon Gabriel off chasing NFL glory after dragging the Ducks to the playoffs, it’s next man up. Only, that next man ain’t as clear as you’d think. Eugene’s got this habit of cranking out star quarterbacks like it’s just another Tuesday. From Marcus Mariota to Justin Herbert and Bo Nix—Oregon’s QBs got legacy stitched into their DNA. Two Heisman finalists in 3 years, but what happens when the hottest thing in town leaves for the league? You’re left with a question that echoes all the way down Autzen Stadium’s concrete walls—Who’s next?
According to most folks, the answer is Dante Moore. But not everyone’s buying stock in the Dante Moore hype train heading into the 2025 season after Will Stein’s comment on Eugene’s QB1.
On March 22nd, Jason Piacelli hopped on their ‘ROC Boys’ podcast with his brother Carl, and the guy kept it all the way real about Oregon’s quarterback battle. “Here’s the thing with Dante Moore and Austin Novosad. You look at Dante Moore and say, ‘All right, the sample size that we have of him in college was not great, right? It was a lot of turnovers; it was a lot of taking sacks.’ But then you also say he was a true freshman playing for a UCLA offense that was miserable. It was miserable up front, it was miserable from a wide receiver standpoint. Dante Moore behind a good offensive line that Oregon invested a lot of time and resources to build in front of him with what we think is going to be a good run game with some really good pass catchers on the outside. It’s clear Dante Moore offers the highest ceiling.”
Now, Dante Moore’s one season at UCLA? Straight-up rollercoaster. The QB had the talent but lacked the tools. Bad O-line, below-average wide receivers, and a system that did him no favors. His stats looked like he was trying to push a boulder uphill: 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and just 53.5% of his passes completed. UCLA’s offense was about as solid as a wet paper bag.
And now? He’s strutting into Eugene, where the Ducks’ offense has been fed and beefed up like it’s been on a protein shake diet. Oregon’s offensive line is built like a brick wall, the run game’s looking juicy, and those wideouts? They ain’t too shabby either. Evan Stewart’s coming back with a chip on his shoulder, Gary Bryant Jr. brings the speed, and oh yeah, freshman Dakorien Moore—freshman’s already drawing Ja’Marr Chase comparisons. But Carl Piacelli had to go there and keep it a buck.
“I’ll put a question to you because I—look, I think this might be the least talented wide receiver group that Dan Lanning’s had since he’s been at Oregon. I mean, Evan Stewart I definitely like, but I don’t know that you got enough from him last year. I think a little may be left on the table, and you are losing an absolute monster at that slot position that they’ve done a really good job with.” It isn’t hard to see what he’s getting at.
Last year, Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden were dropping numbers like mixtapes: 83 receptions for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns from Tez alone. And now? Both of them are off, chasing NFL checks. Sure, the Ducks got new blood, but is it enough to make Dante Moore the king of the pocket? Carl’s throwing shade and subtle warnings.
“I do wonder, like, do they need a little bit more of a higher ceiling at quarterback than, frankly, they’ve probably had in the last couple of years? Because I’m not sure it is quite as talented of a unit around the quarterback as they’ve kind of had.” Looks like they need a QB with a higher ceiling. Where else are you going to find a QB with a higher ceiling than the one already in your locker room?
Austin Novosad is pulling up to snatch that QB1 spot from Dante Moore?
While the spotlight’s glued to Dante Moore, there’s a whole different type of energy coming from Austin Novosad. And if you think he’s just chilling on the bench, you’ve got another thing coming. Offensive coordinator Will Stein ain’t just looking at Dante like he’s the guaranteed guy. The Ducks are running one of the deepest QB rooms in the nation, and everyone’s gunning for that QB1 spot like it’s the last slice of pizza.
“Yeah, it’s been really fun so far. It’s been fresh. It’s been, you know, challenging at times, in a good way,” Stein said when asked about the quarterback battle. “These guys have been professional from day one. They attacked the offseason like champs, and I think through the first two days, they’ve all shown a good understanding of our offense.”
It’s not like Austin Novosad’s just another bench warmer. He’s been with Oregon since the Bo Nix days, learning from the sidelines, soaking up the system like a sponge. While Dante was out there getting his head knocked around behind a terrible UCLA O-line, Novosad was working on his craft. And the fact that he didn’t dip into the transfer portal after 2024? Says a lot about his mindset. He’s not here to hold a clipboard; he’s here to run the show.
But here’s the kicker—Will Stein isn’t exactly tipping his hand. “I think the sky’s the limit for that group. I do feel like we have guys in there that can win games for us, and we’ll figure out over the next, you know, five, six months, who that guy’s going to be running out against Montana State.”
Sure, Dante Moore might be the flashier name, the guy with the five-star pedigree and the massive ceiling. But Novosad? He’s right behind Dante Moore. One bad practice, and suddenly, Austin might be leading the Ducks. If you think this QB battle is already settled, you haven’t been paying attention.
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