Dante Moore: Creative, Accurate, & Just Scratching the Surface
I've charted every throw Dante Moore made against Power Four opponents. The Las Vegas Raiders should take him No. 1 overall.
Many have penciled in Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders since they secured their lottery ticket for a franchise-changing quarterback. The Heisman winner put together an exquisite season, and he’s on the path to a national championship. Taking him first overall would make sense, despite some concerns in his game (check out my full breakdown below).
But if the quarterback on the other sideline this weekend declares, the conversation changes drastically. Dante Moore’s career has been a mix of adversity, patience, and utter dominance, and despite a low number of career starts, he’s the player with the most upside at the quarterback position. Moore’s career started at UCLA, though his decision to commit there was likely rooted in trying to see the field early. See the field early, he did, but the results were uneven. Sacks and a talent discrepancy plagued him, and he eventually transferred to Oregon to sit behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024.
Once he snagged the starting role this year, all the upside that made him a top quarterback recruit came to fruition. If he declares, he should be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
How He Wins
Moore is a high-IQ player with pinpoint accuracy and creativity outside the pocket, which serve as his superpowers. He won’t wow anyone with elite tools. He has a strong enough arm to push the ball to all three levels, and he can zip into tight windows, but he won’t break any MPH records throughout his draft process. He makes up for that with absurd accuracy. 30-yard throws often look like handoffs, quick-game is remarkably pinpoint, and he doesn’t lose his ability to place the football when he’s forced to get creative outside the pocket. Moore consistently throws on the run with ease. Throwing from his base gives him more juice, but off-platform throws give an offensive coordinator more to work with than any quarterback in the class. His ability to evade pressure and create something out of nothing is reminiscent of some of the NFL’s best, but his in-structure skill set offers an unbelievable upside to function in a variety of different offensive schemes.
Moore’s accuracy, especially when he’s kept clean, is by far the best in the class, but his ability to process the field is outstanding, especially for someone who has started so few games at the collegiate level. He knows when to throw with touch and when to zip the ball, and he consistently throws the most catchable ball in college football.
