Dante Moore Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of John Lariviere/CMG Photo)
School: Oregon
Class: Fourth Year
Position: QB
HT: 6’2
WT: 206 lbs
Background: Dante Moore was a consensus 5-star QB recruit in the 2023 class out of Detroit, Michigan. Moore was ranked as a top 3 QB and a top 5 player nationally. He attended Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, where he set single-season school records in 2021 for passing touchdowns (40) and passing yards (3,050). He led MLK to win the Division 3 state championship in 2022, a year in which he was also named the Player of the Year. Moore was a participant in the All-American Bowl and was the Adidas All-American Game MVP. After his senior season, he was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. Moore originally committed to Oregon before flipping to UCLA out of high school.
College: Moore struggled as a true freshman for the Bruins in 2023. He seemed to be rushed in his development and was not ready to take over as a starter. After one season of ups and downs with UCLA, he transferred to where he originally committed, Oregon. Knowing he would have to wait a year as the backup to Dillon Gabriel in 2024, Moore took his time to develop and learn the offense before becoming the starter in 2025. Moore took the nation by storm, being named an All-Big 10 Third Team selection with 3,565 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Surprisingly, Moore chose to return to Oregon for the 2026 season, despite being a projected top 3 pick in the 2026 draft.
Strengths: Dante Moore is an accurate pocket passer who can access any area of the field. His accuracy does not fall off in the deep areas of the field as he can drop the football in a bucket in the deep third. His deep ball does not possess a lot of air time, preventing defensive backs from getting their head around to make a play in time. Moore also manages to throw an accurate football when on the run. While his legs aren’t his calling card, he is athletic enough to get out of some messy pockets. The combination of pure velocity and accuracy makes his ball one of the prettiest in the last few cycles. Moore commands a huddle and has the high football IQ to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. He is the most vocal QB in the class when it comes to seeing what the defense shows and adjusting accordingly. Moore works through his reads efficiently to scan the field and find the open man.
Weaknesses: Moore’s pocket presence needs work. He does not have a good sense for when a pocket is collapsing around him and does not consistently use sound footwork to work himself out. He does not step up and through the pocket when the edges are collapsing in on him. He seems to panic when faced with quick pressure. Moore will never haunt a defense with a threat to run the ball. He wins behind the line of scrimmage with his arm.
Conclusion: Dante Moore is a Day 1 starter with the talent to instantly change the trajectory of an NFL franchise. He has eye-popping throws and can really thread the needle in tight windows. He has the football IQ and arm talent to make up for his lack of scrambling.
Best Team Fits: MIA, NYJ, ATL
Player Comparison: CJ Stroud
Player Grade: Round 1 (91.9)
