Dante Moore, former 5-star QB recruit, transfers to Oregon: How will he fit in with Dillon Gabriel

Former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore, a five-star prospect in the Class of 2023, will transfer to Oregon State, he announced Monday. Moore was the No. 2 QB available at The athleteTransfer Portal Rankings.

Moore, who played at Martin Luther King Senior High School in Detroit, is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 3 QB in the 2023 class in the 247Sports Composite. He originally committed to Oregon State but transferred to UCLA before the early signing period last December.

Moore appeared in nine games and started five for the Bruins as a true freshman. He completed 53.5 percent of his passes for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Oregon also picked up a commitment from Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel earlier this month. In 2023, he threw for 3,660 yards with 30 passing touchdowns for the 10-2 Sooners.

Why did Moore choose Oregon State?

Moore was verbally committed to Oregon State for five months last year before making a last-minute transfer to UCLA just before Signing Day. One year later, he was back in the fold.

After another up-and-down season, it makes sense that Moore would prefer to reunite with a head coach in Dan Lanning and a staff he already knows and trusts. The Ducks were going through an offensive coordinator change at the time of his decommitment with Will Stein coming in to replace Kenny Dillingham, but Stein has done an excellent job in 2023 with an offense that ranks second nationally in scoring at 44.2 points per game.

After making five starts as a true freshman and being benched by the Bruins, Moore has to reset and invest another year in training and development at a potentially low-pressure position as the Ducks’ No. 2 QB — which should prove beneficial in becoming a more experienced QB. An experience that lives up to the five-star hype. — Max Olson, senior college football writer

What does this mean for ducks?

Oregon State couldn’t have done better in its efforts to recruit a replacement for Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix. They are bringing in Gabriel to be their leader in 2024 and keep them in College Football Playoff contention after falling one win short of a playoff bid this season. They couldn’t find a more qualified candidate for the job than a four-year first-team All-Big 12 selection.

Moore will come in as their future leader in 2025, and Gabriel should be a valuable mentor to him. They will compete, but Gabriel was signed to be the starter and both QBs understand their roles in that arrangement. Considering how many quarterbacks move on each year, the Ducks will be in an incredibly enviable position with their QB room if they can do it right. – Olson

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(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today)