Dante Moore Talks QB Competition, Spring Practice
Oregon held its seventh spring practice on Thursday and following practice we got to hear from redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore.
Below are some of his top quotes.
On quarterback competition, relationship with Austin Novosad
Moore: “I feel like overall just in general the whole quarterback room has been competing pretty well. This spring Coach Stein has just pushed us every day as a whole group. We’re not worrying about who’s gonna start. We’re not worrying about who’s one, who’s two. More of it’s just in general we’re just all pushing each other and we’re all out there if a mistake happens we’re all coaching each other. Every time we make a great play we’re always congratulating each other. It’s just been a great quarterback room, great healthy room and it’s been going pretty good.”
On dealing with high expectations
Moore: “I just know Coach Lanning always tells me pressure’s a privilege. I just feel like I’m blessed to be here. Blessed to be where I’m at. It’s overall just in general I’m not really thinking about down the line this season or things like that. I’m thinking about every day just how I’m getting better at practice, how I’m helping the team around me get better. It’s always good to think ahead but right now I’m just living in the moment.”
On focusing on himself and not trying to replicate what Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel did
Moore: “Growing up I’ve had great mentors, one being Cam Newton. One thing he always told me was control what you can control. Also you don’t have to do anything special to be special. Me, I just look at the past, you can go from Joey Harrington to Marcus Mariota to Darron Thomas, you got Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel. It’s just so many great quarterbacks, but really I’m just thinking about my style of play, how I can better the team. Just how I can make myself accountable on the football field. I’ve learned a lot from Dillon. I miss him a lot. I love him a lot. Praying for his success, but overall just to master my game plan and make sure I keep bettering myself every day.”
On his areas of growth since coming to Eugene
Moore: “I would say my leadership has grown a lot. When I first got here I played in college football so I kind of knew how it feels to be out there on the field. But I just feel like just day by day, whether it’s when I first wake up and get to the facility or on the field, or in the weight room, just my communication to the players. Understanding who I need to communicate in a certain type of way. Just leading by my voice. I know my actions really well, the way of my routines every day and how I play on the field. But communication, has been something really big with me, leadership, so I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job. They always let me know if I’m doing good, doing bad.”
On his approach in spring football this year
Moore: “I think this spring, I’ve been in the system for a year now. I’m really comfortable with the plays, I’m getting the protections really well. Just overall everything’s been pretty good. I feel like I’m out there making more fast, decisive decisions. I’ve been protecting the ball really well, something I’ve always keyed on is protecting the ball.”
On offseason goals
Moore: “My goal, Coach Love did it really good job with me. I’m blessed to have him as my strength staff coach. Really it was more just to get faster. Cut down my body fat. I did really good with that. I pr’d my fastest speed this spring. I’ve been doing really well. Physically it was just getting my body cut down, but mentally watching a lot of film. Lot of NFL quarterbacks just seeing the way they’re decisive on the football field.”
On new wide receivers (Malik Benson, Cooper Perry, Dakorien Moore)
Moore: “They’re dogs for sure. Everybody sees Dakorien, sees what he’s done. He’s doing what’s advertised. He’s true to his talent. He’s for sure been a guy that’s come in—Texas football’s different, I trained down there in Dallas. I got to see how they practice out there. They do spring ball. It’s serious out there. So him coming in he already had the mindset of competing really well. Real fast, he’s really good with feet, got good hands of that nature. He’s for sure–what people are saying is true. He’s for sure legit. Malik, real shifty, real fast. This whole offseason we’re getting together, he’s been in college for quite some time now. So he knows how to push me, I know how to push him. He’s a person that I’ve been around a lot these past couple months and I love him to death. He’s been getting better out there and making sure he makes his plays. And Coop, I mean he’s a silent assassin. He doesn’t say much but when the ball’s in the air he’s making sure he’s getting it. He’s from AZ, he’s a guy that came in quiet, making his plays.”
