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Dante Moore will begin the 2025 season as Oregon's starting quarterback in the team's opener on Saturday against Montana State, sources confirmed to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. The former highly touted quarterback, who started his career at UCLA and transferred to Oregon following the 2023 season, was the heavy favorite to win the starting job over Austin Novosad and Luke Moga after spending last year as Dillon Gabriel's backup.

After an up-and-down freshman year at UCLA, which saw him initially win the starting job and then get benched following a loss against Oregon State midway through the season, Moore entered the transfer portal and landed at Oregon. Because the Ducks added Gabriel -- one of the most experienced quarterbacks in FBS history -- there was no logical path for Moore to get on the field in an expanded role.

In the first three games of his college career against Coastal Carolina, San Diego State and North Carolina Central, Moore completed 32 of 51 attempts for 615 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished the 2023 season with 1,610 yards passing and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Last season, he appeared in four games and attempted just eight passes.

Oregon finished the 2024 season with one of the most high-octane offenses in the country, en route to a Big Ten title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks finished 17th in points per game (34.9) and 22nd in total offense (437.4).

With Moore officially in line to start, here is what it means for Oregon as the program seeks another berth in the CFP.

Moore is the latest transfer QB to start for Oregon

Since Lanning arrived at Oregon in 2021, the Ducks have exclusively featured transfer quarterbacks. It started when Oregon landed former Auburn transfer Bo Nix ahead of the 2022 season. Nix went on to become a two-year starter and an eventual first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

With Nix out of eligibility, Oregon hit the transfer portal hard to find his successor. The Ducks landed Gabriel and Moore following the 2023 season, which put the program in a position to have an answer at the position in the present and future. Oregon did not pursue a quarterback this offseason in the transfer portal and instead signed four-star quarterback Akili Smith Jr.

The top-tier quarterbacks from the 2023 recruiting class have been a hot topic in the football world. Outside of Texas star quarterback Arch Manning, the top-eight-ranked quarterbacks in the class have hit the transfer portal at least once. Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA after a high-profile breakup with Tennessee, Moore transferred from UCLA to Oregon, Jackson Arnold went from Oklahoma to Auburn and Malachi Nelson became the first top-five-ranked quarterback from the class to transfer twice, now residing at UTEP.

Can Moore reach his full potential at Oregon?

Moore showed flashes on tape of being a future star during his time at UCLA. He won the starting job over veteran signal caller Ethan Garbers after a standout Week 1 performance against Coastal Carolina. Moore threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns against San Diego State the following week, which only intensified the hype. 

Overall, his freshman year at UCLA was a mixed bag. The weapons around Moore at Oregon will be better than what he had at UCLA. However, it's unclear whether star wide receiver Evan Stewart will be catching passes from him this season. Stewart, who is Oregon's top returning wide receiver, suffered a knee injury earlier this spring and his status for 2025 is up in the air. Stewart served as a reliable security blanket for Gabriel last year, so getting him back in any capacity would be a major help for the redshirt sophomore.

The Ducks added Malik Benson (formerly of Florida State and Alabama) via the transfer portal and return Justius Lowe and Gary Bryant Jr. The name that could become a star right away in the Ducks' receiving room could be five-star Dakorien Moore -- the No. 9 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

With Moore's role defined heading into this season, it will be up to him to deliver on the hype. There aren't many players at the position with more upside than Moore. After waiting his turn to become Oregon's starter, it is now up to him to deliver on the hype.