Quarterback Dominoes: Ducks shift focus to Dante Moore, Jaden Rashada

It’s been nine days since On3 Consensus five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava committed to Tennessee, and his decision continues to cause ripple effects across the country. That’s especially true with programs still hunting for a signal-caller in the Class of 2023.

And even more so true for the Oregon Ducks, who had Iamaleava as one of its top overall prospects on their board.

Even with the setback of not landing the top uncommitted quarterback on the West Coast, Oregon insiders feel pretty good about how the quarterback dominoes are stacking up.

Yes, missing out on Iamaleava stings, especially from a perception standpoint.

But all is not lost.

According to Justin Hopkins of On3’s Scoop Duck, Oregon has always coveted On3 Consensus five-star quarterback Dante Moore of Detroit Martin Luther King. And while the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine heavily favors Notre Dame, Hopkins believes the Ducks are very much a factor in Moore’s recruitment.

“Dante’s had very good, open, and honest conversations with Oregon about where it is on his list,” Hopkins said. “I know there’s a lot of buzz about Notre Dame. But he visited Oregon, enjoyed his time on campus, and is expected to return again for another visit. Oregon remains square in the mix here. I’m not saying they lead or anything, but they are on the shortlist.

“A return visit would be huge for Oregon’s chances.”

Oregon also chasing other quarterbacks

And if the Moore domino doesn’t fall the Ducks’ way, Hopkins believes Oregon is still very much in the race also for Jaden Rashada, the four-star quarterback from Pittsburg, Calif. In fact, Hopkins recently projected Rashada as one of Oregon’s next five commits.

Ole Miss is trending in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine with Rashada. The Rebels are listed as the favorite with a 69.5% chance of landing his commitment. But Rashada will be in Eugene for the weekend of the Ducks’ spring game on April 22-24.

“I’m pretty close with their coaching staff, with all of them from the offensive coordinator (Kenny Dillingham) to the running backs coach (Carlos Locklyn) to the defensive staff,” Rashada said two days ago.

Another name to monitor with the Ducks is On3 Consensus four-star Eli Holstein out of Zachary (La.) High School.

Holstein made national news when he backed off his longtime commitment to Texas A&M. Along with Oregon, On3 national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman believes Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Miami and LSU are potential landing spots for Holstein.

What also makes Oregon’s involvement with Moore and Rashada fascinating is that both are believed on the clock for commitments. They in theory could be the next quarterback dominoes to fall.

With Moore, a mid-spring commitment date is certainly not off the table. But he could stretch his recruitment into the summer and take official visits. Rashada hopes to have a decision by June or even sooner after scheduled visits to Oregon, Ole Miss and Miami.

What if Oregon doesn’t land either?

Hopkins insists the Ducks won’t be hurting if they do miss out on Moore and Rashada. Don’t forget Oregon has redshirt freshmen and former four-star recruits Jay Butterfield and Ty Thompson in the quarterback room.

Plus, if the quarterback dominoes don’t fall right in the 2023 class, Hopkins said it could be the perfect timeline for Oregon to make a major push for five-star Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class.

In fact, Raiola gave his recent Oregon visit high marks.

“We always looked at Oregon as an elite program but seeing it from the inside was different,” Raiola said. “Coach (Dan) Lanning was impressive. The staff he put together is elite and their vision of winning a national championship is pretty clear. It really is the total package: academics, staff, and the football program’s goals. We’re looking forward to getting back up there.”

Arch Manning still biggest quarterback domino

Even with the decision from Iamaleava and imminent decisions from Moore and Rashada, the biggest target at the quarterback position is still on the board. Five-Star Plus+ Arch Manning of New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman is still very much in play for Texas, Georgia and Alabama.

Texas, Alabama and Georgia are in a good position for Manning, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. However, it appears Texas has some momentum after an impressive unofficial visit last weekend. But the Crimson Tide get a chance to swing things back in their favor this upcoming weekend.

And while Moore and Rashada are linked to each other, Manning’s decision will also likely dictate what happens with other quarterbacks in the class, especially a guy like No. 5 signal-caller Christopher Vizzina of Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian and Holstein.

“Obviously Arch is still that guy,” On3’s Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said. “But what about Christopher Vizzina? Does he become a hotter commodity for those guys? Does Bama offer a kid like that? He grew up a huge Bama fan.

“I think Nico’s decision set this all into motion and will have a big effect in the coming months with how schools maybe reset the top of their board with maybe who is No. 2 and No. 3 for them coming up in the spring and the summer.”