Top QB recruit Dante Moore picks Oregon over Michigan

New Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has made a huge splash on the recruiting landscape, landing a commitment from highly-touted quarterback Dante Moore on Friday.

Moore is the No. 8 overall recruit — and the No. 4-ranked quarterback — in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. 

He’s also the top-ranked player in the state of Michigan, making his commitment to Oregon a tough blow for Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines have the 13th-ranked 2023 class in the Big Ten so far, according to 247Sports.

Texas A&M, LSU and Notre Dame were also reportedly in the running to land the Detroit native.

Moore is the first five-star commit to land in Eugene in this class and will be joining seven four-star recruits and three three-star recruits.

“This whole process was a dream,” Moore told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “Starting way back in seventh grade, and till now I am just thankful for all the coaches I have talked to, all the universities I visited, and fans I bumped to down the road. Coming to a decision I am quite nervous and don’t want to make any wrong mistakes, but sometimes you just have to go with your heart and pray God leads me the right way. So I think it’s time.”

Moore is coming off a 2021 state championship and has thrown for 7,488 yards and 108 touchdowns in three seasons at Martin Luther King Jr. High School.

He said he chose Oregon because it is a quarterback-developing school and said he likes the youthful coaching staff.

“Me and (offensive coordinator Kenny) Dillingham’s bond is insane,” Moore told On3’s Sam Spiegelman. “With Coach (Dan) Lanning, the past few months is the first time talking with him. He’s a genius. He knows how to get to national championships on the defensive side of the ball and on offense. Having a defensive-minded coach is good for quarterbacks. They know how to get three-and-outs and the offense back on the field. Oregon is a great school.”