NFL Vet Makes Big Dante Moore Admission but Oregon Nation Learns Harsh Dillon Gabriel Truth

Before Bo Nix got to Eugene, he had already had experience of winning games in historic CFB cathedrals like Tiger Stadium (LSU) and Kyle Field (Texas A&M). His successor, Dillon Gabriel, won at Georgia Tech as Central Florida’s starter and beat BYU as a visitor with Oklahoma. Dante Moore will only play his first ranked team this weekend. So should he really be seated on the same table? An eight-year NFL veteran thinks so.

Former Oregon Ducks lineman and ex-Panther Geoff Schwartz is here with his hot take. “Dante Moore is better than Gabriel. It’s not debatable. He connects on throws that Gabriel only wishes he could make.” He posted on X. His reasoning? The kid’s outside throws. Schwartz even pulled out the receipts, posting a clip from the Oregon St. game where Moore uncorked a 45-yard beauty down the sideline. When Oregon fans pushed back, Schwartz doubled down. “Ppl arguing with me who don’t watch Oregon play is just peak Twitter. Gabriel made this throw zero times.”

That’s the sort of a bold claim that lights up message boards. And to be fair, Dante Moore does have a special knack for working the edges of the field. The arm talent is evident. Throwing velocity, placement, and a willingness to test the boundary windows Gabriel often left untouched during his Ducks run. It’s not all roses. Moore still struggles in the middle of the pocket. Reading coverage across the middle isn’t his strength yet, and defenses that disguise looks can bait him into hesitation. He has shown efficiency in his passing game, but on a relatively light workload compared to what Gabriel shouldered in 2023.

The sample size is small, and the stage has been relatively forgiving. #5’s only road wins as a starter? San Diego State, back when he was a UCLA freshman, and Northwestern three weeks ago in front of about 12,000 people at a pop-up stadium built on a lacrosse field. This week? Add 94,000 more voices, dressed in white, breathing down on him at Beaver Stadium.

Plus, Penn State isn’t just about atmosphere. James Franklin’s defense is giving up only 224 yards/game and already has seven interceptions in three contests. They’re athletic, disciplined, and also the exact type of group that exposes a young QB. It’s why Saturday feels like the first true test for QB1. Still, none of that erases Moore’s bright start. The 20-year-old has given the right amount of production required to win games. And win them well. He’s already thrown 11 touchdowns, matching what he did across nine appearances at UCLA. Penn State will be the perfect game to prove he belongs in the conversation that Schwartz insists Moore already owns.

But Moore needs to walk out of Happy Valley with either a win or show a heroic effort in the ensuing loss. Then Ducks fans can start whispering “Heisman” again. Maybe AD Rob Mullens really does need to save an extra December flight to New York. But if Moore falters, it will give the critics enough material to last the entire week.

Franklin sizes up Dante Moore vs. Gabriel ahead of White Out

Even James Franklin isn’t ready to paint Dante Moore as a drastic departure from Dillon Gabriel, but he knows PSU’s defense will have its hands full. Breaking down the QBs this week, Franklin pointed out that Oregon’s system hasn’t skipped a beat despite the change under center.

“I don’t think it’s a whole lot different,” Franklin said. “He’s a throw-first guy. Very accurate, can extend plays. Obviously, has a ton of playmakers around him. They both had the ability to extend plays. I would say that Dante runs a little bit more. You know, runs a little bit more than maybe they had in the past. But the other guy was a really good athlete as well.”

Oregon currently boasts the nation’s seventh-ranked scoring offense, averaging 50.8 points per game. But it is also true that they are yet to face an opponent the likes of Penn State.