Two years and one transfer later, Oregon is getting the version of quarterback Dante Moore that it recruited out of high school.
The former five-star recruit in the 2023 signing class was a late flip to UCLA, where he ended up starting games — and struggling — as a freshman. Moore transferred to Oregon in 2024, took a redshirt season behind Dillon Gabriel and has looked well-prepared to take over this season.
Heading into the sixth-ranked Ducks’ matchup at No. 3 Penn State on Saturday, Moore has completed 75 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and just one interception.
“He was smooth as hell, and no panic,” said a defensive coordinator who faced the Ducks this season. “He is pretty damn poised. He can throw the hell out of the ball. He wants to throw the deep one before he wants to throw the one that’s sitting right there open. He wants to look high to low. He does have a big powerful arm. On film, he throws some unbelievable deep balls. He’s the real deal. People are gonna have to apply pressure to him. Right now he looks so comfortable in what they’re doing.”
Moore looked far from comfortable during his year at UCLA, where in his last four road games he threw two touchdown passes and four interceptions, including two pick sixes.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of wrinkles Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has for Moore and Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein. The two matched wits twice last season when Knowles was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, with very different outcomes.
Oregon averaged 7.63 yards per play in a 32-31 mid-October victory against the Buckeyes in Eugene. In a Rose Bowl rematch in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State held the Ducks to 3.94 yards per play in a romp.
Oregon ran for 155 yards and did not allow a sack in the first game. In Pasadena, Ohio State jumped out to a 34-0 lead in the second quarter and finished with eight sacks.
Knowles is known for giving offenses a lot to consider through multiple fronts and coverages, but after last year’s first Ohio State-Oregon game Ducks coaches noted that they didn’t see as much variety and disguises from Knowles as they expected.
Their theory was because Oregon’s offensive line had some early-season struggles before playing Ohio State, the Buckeyes played more straight-up, relying on their star-studded four-man defensive line to get pressure in front of man coverage and slow the running game. That didn’t work. In the rematch, it was notable that three of Ohio State’s sacks came from linebacker Cody Simon (two) and safety Lathan Ransom (one).
When Penn State played Oregon in the Big Ten championship game, the Nittany Lions also had few answers for the Ducks’ offense. Oregon averaged 6.4 yards per play in a 45-37 victory. Under previous defensive coordinator Tom Allen, Penn State was always on the attack.
“We did not have enough tools in the tool belt,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said this week. “Man coverage, sack or pressure was the only solution.”
With Knowles, zone coverage and zone blitzes are now part of the equation, though it remains to be seen how those new tricks work for Penn State against high-level competition. The Nittany Lions have overwhelmed three overmatched opponents, allowing just 17 points in three games.
Similarly, Moore has been comfortable against defenses that have presented little resistance, but whether Oregon can keep him that way amid a raucous White Out at Penn State will go a long way toward determining the winner of this Big Ten showdown.
Oregon O’s X-factor?
Moore’s security blanket of sorts is tight end Kenyon Sadiq. He has nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns and the athleticism to take over a game. The 6-3, 255-pound Sadiq can vertical-jump 41.5 inches and might be the most explosive tight end in the country. Penn State is very familiar: Sadiq caught two touchdown passes in the Big Ten title game.
“Their tight end is as good a tight end as I’ve ever prepared for at anyplace I’ve ever been, including when I was in the SEC,” the defensive coordinator who faced the Ducks said. “He’s an unbelievable athlete. Really good blocking at the point of attack and is a match-up nightmare.”
Bain train
Miami brought in a new defensive coordinator and overhauled its secondary through the transfer portal this offseason after a late-season collapse on that side of the ball cost the Hurricanes a Playoff spot.
The biggest fix, however, seems to have come from within the program.
Through the first four weeks of the season, third-year defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. might be the best player in college football.
Among defensive linemen who have played a minimum of 100 snaps, Bain is ninth in pressure rate at 19.6 percent, according to TruMedia. Per Pro Football Focus, Bain is third in the country in pass rush win rate among edge players with 50 or more pass rush snaps, at 28.9 percent.
Those within the program say there were plenty of signs this was coming in the offseason. Miami’s offensive line is also one of the best in the country, with NFL prospects from side to side, and there were times when Bain would dominate the best-on-best portions of practice.
“Every day he’s the last kid off the field, working on whatever he thinks was off that day,” a Miami defensive coach said.
Bain was injured early last season and was never the disruptive playmaker he was during an impressive freshman year. His commitment to reaching his vast potential was evident in the offseason, from the weight room to the training table to the practice field.
“He’s a professional about the way he does everything,” the coach said.
Opposite Bain, defensive end Akheem Mesidor has been just about as good. The sixth-year player ranks third nationally in pressure rate (21.6 percent) and is No. 1 in pass rush winning percentage at 30.7.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Mesidor, who spent his first two seasons at West Virginia before transferring in 2022, has become a more explosive and agile athlete in his final college season.
“He completely changed his body in the offseason,” the coach said.
No. 2 Miami has an open date before playing at No. 8 Florida State on Oct. 4.
Ready for a close up?
Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. steps onto the big stage for the first time this season when No. 1 Ohio State visits Husky Stadium. The sophomore took over as UW’s starter late last season, getting a road test at No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks rolled 49-21, but Williams was efficient, finishing 17 of 20 for 201 yards and a touchdown.
Inside the program, Washington coaches believe they have a budding star in Williams. He is fourth in the nation in passer efficiency rating (198.75) and he has run for 220 yards and two touchdowns, though the Buckeyes are a huge step up in competition compared to Colorado State, UC Davis and Washington State.
Ohio State gave Arch Manning and Texas fits in the season opener and has allowed only 5.3 points per game, 4.9 yards per attempt and a total of two touchdown passes. The Buckeyes haven’t been tested since Week 1.
Washington coach Jedd Fisch has had a hard time containing his enthusiasm for Williams. “He’s as accurate as any dropback guy I’ve ever had,” Fisch told The Athletic earlier this year.
Fisch has raved about Williams’ ability to make big plays. He also said whenever Williams is ready for the NFL combine, the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder will run a legit 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
Williams told The Athletic he believes he has taken a big step forward this season in his decision making, getting quicker with his reads and going through progressions.
Arch update
Confidence is still high in Austin for Manning. The 10th-ranked Texas Longhorns, who are off this week, play at Florida on Oct. 4.
The third-year quarterback’s touchdown-to-interception ratio of 9-to-3 is solid, but his 61.3 completion percentage is lower than most would’ve expected given Ohio State is the the only power-conference opponent Texas has faced. Manning has also run for 123 yards and five touchdowns.
Longhorns sources expect Manning to take big strides over the course of this season, noting that he’s gone through more adversity this month than he ever has in his football career. Getting booed against UTEP at home while going 11 for 25 was something no one envisioned. Those in the program believe Manning has been pressing in his first season as QB1.
“He was gripping the ball a little tight,” one source said.
Another source said there is no denying Manning’s talent: “He’s a terrific athlete and he throws the deep ball as good as anybody I’ve ever been around.”
The Longhorns have another former five-star recruit they are hoping to get going in receiver Ryan Wingo. The sophomore is second on the team with 13 catches for 190 yards, but not until last week against Sam Houston State did he and Manning connect on some big plays downfield.
The hope is improvement from Wingo and Stanford transfer receiver Emmett Mosley V’s return from injury will give Manning’s production a boost.
Texas also might have another emerging force along the offensive line in 6-foot-7 freshman Nick Brooks from Georgia. After losing Andre Cojoe for the season to a knee injury, the right tackle job opened up for Brandon Baker. Brooks is pushing for more playing time.
Around the country
• The ACC announced earlier this week it was moving toward a nine-game conference schedule and requiring league members to play 10 power conference opponents overall. The math doesn’t work in a 17-team conference for each school to play nine league games, so the plan is for one team to play eight each season. Nothing is finalized, but sources familiar with the conference’s discussions say the eight-game schedule is not intended to accommodate one or two schools — specifically, Clemson. The Tigers have no desire to stop playing in-state SEC rival South Carolina, and they just agreed to a 12-game series against Notre Dame that begins in 2027. An eight-game conference schedule would seem to make sense for Clemson, but multiple sources told The Athletic the idea is for the eight-game schedule to move around the conference. “No one has a birthright to it,” one source said.
• A defensive coach who has faced Florida said the offense that showed up on film during the Gators’ strong finish to last season wasn’t what they emphasized this season. Florida had success moving quarterback DJ Lagway out of the pocket for short throws and running between the tackles to set up shots downfield during its 4-2 finish to the 2024 regular season. The coach called 230-pound running back Jadan Baugh Florida’s best weapon. The sophomore had only 22 carries for 92 yards combined in losses to LSU and Miami.
• Boise State might have found a new star running back in sophomore Dylan Riley, who went off for 171 yards and four touchdowns against Air Force last week. A defensive coach who has faced the Broncos called their offensive tackles elite, but the interior of the offensive line is a work in progress. The coach said Boise State is still the class of the Mountain West along with UNLV and mentioned Fresno State as a team that could emerge to push the top two.
• USC sources point to two younger defensive linemen from SEC country as major reasons the Trojans rank near the top of the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for loss. Kameryn Crawford (formerly known as Kameryn Fountain), a 6-5, 260-pound sophomore from Mobile, Ala., has five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He’s been USC’s best pass rusher because of his power. New Orleans native Jahkeem Stewart, one of USC’s most coveted defensive line recruits in years, is blossoming fast. The 6-5, 270-pound freshman missed the opener with a foot injury but has improved each week. He had a dominant performance against Michigan State last Saturday. Trojans sources say they have been blown away by Stewart’s high football IQ. He has the best get-off on the team and is a natural pass rusher, drawing comparisons to Calais Campbell. He has four TFLs in three games.
(Photo: Ali Gradischer / Getty Images)
