Dan Lanning explains why Oregon did not get a transfer quarterback for 2025

Since arriving at Oregon ahead of the 2022 season, head coach Dan Lanning has exclusively relied on an experienced transfer quarterback to lead the Ducks offense. First it was Bo Nix. Then came Dillon Gabriel.

This upcoming season, Lanning and Oregon will likely rely on another former transfer QB, albeit one that was on the roster and redshirted in 2024 — former five-star UCLA product Dante Moore.

But with Moore already on the roster, and three seasons of college eligibility remaining after making five starts in nine games for the Bruins in 2023, Lanning didn’t add another quarterback out of the NCAA Transfer Portal during the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Following the Ducks’ annual Spring game Saturday, Lanning explained the reasoning for not dipping into the portal for a more experienced signal-caller this offseason.

“Because I like who we have on our roster,” Lanning said Saturday. “I like the guys that we’ve got. And that’s always been something (where) you want to create competition at every position, and we’ve utilized the portal at times when we felt like that helped us and enhanced us and had the opportunity to have success.

“There’s also, … sometimes the portal is not all under your control. If you’re lower at a certain roster spot, you need to be able to add guys to make sure you can go out there and practice. Roster limits have changed some of those things, there’s been some other adjustments, and we’ll see how those rules continue to change and shape. But ultimately I feel good about the guys we have at that position.”

Moore, a redshirt sophomore, is currently the most expereinced quarterback on Oregon’s roster, joined by fellow sophomore Brock Thomas, redshirt freshman Luke Moga and four-star true freshman Akili Smith Jr., the son of Ducks alumnus Akili Smith, who went No. 3 overall in the famed 1999 NFL Draft.

Dan Lanning confirms Oregon will not pursue a linebacker in the transfer portal

The Spring Transfer Portal window offers opportunities for coaches to fill gaps on their rosters. For Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, there is still some work to do but one position he isn’t concerned about is linebacker. There, he says that the Ducks won’t be pursuing any further transfers.

While there is always a chance things change, for the time being, Oregon is set at linebacker. Lanning explained that instead of adding there, he’s confident in the guys already on the roster.

“We won’t,” Dan Lanning said. “We won’t pursue anybody in the portal at linebacker. I feel really good about our linebacker group. I like the guys we have.”

Certainly, Lanning and the Ducks have plenty of experience and talent that needs to be replaced. Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs both made the jump to the NFL this year. Another three linebackers, meanwhile, hit the Transfer Portal this offseason.

— On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.