Dante Moore arrived at Oregon football media day on July 28 carrying a giant jug of water and the weight of expectations from an anxious fanbase wondering if the former high-profile recruit will be the Ducks’ starting quarterback in four weeks.
Moore was clearly more concerned about the former rather than the latter when he met with reporters inside the Club at Autzen at Autzen Stadium.
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“It’s fall camp time,” the redshirt sophomore said with a smile. “It’s intense. You gotta stay hydrated.”
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore speaks with reporters during Oregon football’s media day on July 28 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
On a team with an abundance of proven talent at nearly every position and driven by the disappointing finish to an otherwise thrilling 2024 season, the question of who the starting quarterback will be for the high-flying Ducks is still to be determined.
At least publicly.
Moore, the former five-star recruit and 2024 transfer from UCLA, and redshirt sophomore Austin Novosad, who has spent the past two seasons at Oregon learning under a pair of Heisman Trophy finalists and NFL draft picks in Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, are said to be on equal footing as fall camp begins.
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“I think whoever is back there, they know they have to lead this ship and lead us in the right direction,” veteran wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr., said July 28. “And it’s a competition. From quarterback to defensive line and receivers and running backs, everybody knows it’s a competition in these rooms. So, whoever has that starting job, they got the job done and we’ve all got great confidence in anybody who’s back there.”
Oregon’s season opener is Aug. 30 against Montana State in Autzen Stadium, giving the Ducks a little more than a month to square away a quarterback battle that has been waging since the offseason began on Jan. 2.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning wasn’t prepared to declare a starter when spring practices wrapped up at the end of April, and both Moore and Novosad spent their summers gearing up for another four-week competition.
Fighting Ducks quarterback Austin Novosad throws a pass as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Moore went to Texas to work on his mechanics with quarterback guru Damian Williams. Novosad took part in the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana. Both also spent countless hours throwing to Oregon’s receivers and working out alongside teammates.
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“It’s just competing every day,” Novosad said. “We’re always trying to help each other out, learn different things from each other, because everyone brings something different to the table.”
But only one will get the starting job, making quarterback the most anticipated positional battle for the Ducks as August heats up.
“Like coach Lanning says, pressure is a privilege,” Moore said. “I feel like this whole offense, we’re talented, we’re ready to compete. A lot of us have chips on the shoulders. I know damn well I’m hungry for sure. … I know I’m gonna push the guys. I’m excited. It’s gonna be a long fall camp, but when it comes to the season I’m gonna be ready for sure.”
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Who will be Oregon football’s starting quarterback? What to know
