Oregon QB Dante Moore Feeling Pressure For Starting Role

Oregon QB Dante Moore Feeling Pressure For Starting Role originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

With Dillon Gabriel gone, the Oregon Ducks have found themselves in a quarterback competition, with redshirt sophomores Dante Moore and Austin Novosad being the main options

Moore is widely seen as the frontrunner, and after serving as the backup in 2024 behind Gabriel, he didn't see much playing time.

However, as a true freshman for the UCLA Bruins in 2023, he was decent, completing 114-of-213 passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Coming out of high school in the 2023 recruiting class, he showed true potential. Rivals Industry Rankings placed him as a five-star recruit, the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 3 player in the nation.

Moore Still Being Challenged for Starting Role

However, Moore being the starter is not a done deal, and during a Friday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN's Pete Thamel revealed Novosad is making some serious noise.

“I think that’s the expectation right now, as you look at Oregon, (Moore’s) obviously been in the program. They paid him a lot of money to be the backup last year,” Thamel said, according to Rivals' Alex Byington. “But it wouldn’t surprise me if we do see some real snaps from (backup) Austin Novosad this year. Really talented young guy coming in. I would think that Dante Moore is ahead there right now, but I don’t know if it’s a hammer-lock on the job.”

It creates an instance where even if Moore does secure the starting role at the beginning of the season, he could just as easily lose it at some other point in the year if he doesn't perform at a high level.

Austin Novosad's Numbers with Oregon

Since joining the Ducks in 2023, Novosad has rarely seen the field, appearing in just six games, completing 11-of-13 passes for 59 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 122.7 passing efficiency rating.

He was part of the same recruiting class as Moore, but ranked considerably lower as a four-star prospect, the No. 10 quarterback and the No. 113 player in the nation.

However, one critical advantage he does have is that he's spent two years learning and practicing in Lanning's offense, compared to Moore, with just one full season under his belt.

With Novosad applying some pressure, an official decision on the starting quarterback will have to be made soon, with Oregon hosting its season opener against the Montana State Bobcats on August 30.

Related: Texas at Risk of Losing Nation's No. 2 RB to ACC Powerhouse

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.