Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have started the 2025-2026 season off with a 5-1 record, highlighted by the 30-24 two OT thriller against Penn State in Happy Valley, PA. The Ducks have true freshmen who are stars, highlighted by RB Dierre Hill, CB Brandon Finney, and WR Dakorien Moore. Is Dante Moore QB 1 in the draft? And can the Ducks win the Big Ten back-to-back years?
All eyes were on the Ducks as they took on Penn State, and even ESPN’s College Gameday came to Happy Valley. To say Dante Moore was short of terrific would be a lie. He threw for 250 yards, 3/0 TD to Int, and rushed for 35 yards (via ESPN) and stayed composed in the heat of the game. The Oregon defense shut down the number 1 rushing backfield in the country. Holding Nick Singleton to 21 rushing yards and Kaytron Allen to 54 yards and a touchdown. This is a drastic improvement from the last time they faced Penn State in the Big 10 Championship Game last year, giving up 230 yards to the duo. Oregon took a two-touchdown lead with 13 minutes left in the game, and Penn State came back, tying the game with 30 seconds to play. Both got touchdowns in the 1st overtime. In the 2nd OT the Ducks got a 1-play touchdown. The first play for Penn State was picked off by safety Dillon Thieneman to win the game. “Death by a thousand cuts. We just had to get another cut, and eventually that cut was going to be a jugular, and that last interception was the jugular,” says Head Coach Dan Lanning when speaking about the mentality of the game.
Is this the best recruiting class in Oregon history? The true freshmen this season have been spectacular, led by the #1 WR of the 2025 class, Dakorien Moore, who leads the team in receiving yards along with three touchdowns. Along with Dakorien, they have Dierre Hill, Jordan Davidson, and Brandon Finney. Dierre has 270 rushing yards, and Davidson leads RBs with seven touchdowns. Brandon Finney has earned his starting spot over very reliable veterans, like Theran Johnson and Jahil Florence. Fans were expecting Dakorien to be an instant impact, but to have four was more than a surprise. Dan Lanning likes to say, “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough, and if you’re good enough, you’ll get an opportunity to play.” He has definitely proven this in their last game against Indiana, which they lost 20-30. According to Ducks Wire USA Today, Brandon Finney led the secondary in snaps, Dakorien Moore 2nd for WRs, and Jordon Davidson 2nd for RBs. Coaches and fans hope the production from the young guys continues to go up.
Dante Moore is the projected QB 1 in the 2026 NFL draft. He has a 72% completion rate, 1,400 passing yards, 15/3 TD to Int, and has 100 rushing yards. Moore transferred from UCLA in 2024 after starting five games as a true freshman and struggling. He sat behind Dillon Gabriel last year and got the offense under his belt. According to Bet MGM, Dante also has the 5th-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Former Duck Wide Receiver and NFL WR Tez Johnson stated after the Rose Bowl game loss last year, “He’ll be a Heisman finalist next year. One hundred percent.” This prediction looks like it might hit right now. Will Dante Moore continue to have a great season and claim the Heisman Trophy, and solidify himself as the top pick? Or will he regress and stay another year at Oregon? Only time will tell.
As long as the Ducks win out, they should be guaranteed a home opening-round playoff game. Can Dante and the true freshman continue to thrive and make a push to the National Championship, something the Oregon Ducks have never been, and will Dante Moore win the Heisman Trophy?
