Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore Shares His Journey, Donates NIL Money To Hometown

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is preparing to lead as the team’s starter in 2025. Before the season begins, Moore is demonstrating his leadership off the field, returning to his hometown in Detroit.

One of the ways Moore sought to help is by using his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) earnings to help his alma mater. Moore returned to Martin Luther King High School and donated a $10,000 check to the football team. 

The Oregon quarterback also hosted a book signing for his children’s book, “From Journey to Dream.” The book is about Moore’s journey from childhood to playing college football. Moore spent a season with the UCLA Bruins before transferring to Oregon where he sat for a season behind Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. 

Moore hopes his book can help inspire those pursuing their dreams. He recounted his mistakes and that while things may not go as expected, it is a learning experience.

“I feel like this book will be good for kids just to read and understand,” Moore said at the book signing. 

Moore was originally committed to Oregon before flipping to UCLA. The flip was just another step in his journey to becoming the Ducks’ starter.

In Moore’s one season with UCLA, he passed for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He finished the season with a 53.5 completion percentage and entered the portal. Both Moore and Gabriel transferred to Oregon following the 2023 season. Gabriel became the starter, causing Moore to sit for a season. 

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Instead of holding a grudge and entering the portal again, Moore embraced the season as a learning experience.

“If you have a dream, chase it. Many people think the sky’s the limit, but I say reach for the stars,” Moore continued. “Many things don’t happen to go your way, I feel like you just learn from them. My freshman year at UCLA, a lot of mistakes happened there, but overall, I learned from them.”

“All these expectations and things like that, my work will show that any expectation or anything people expect me to do, I know I can do it,” Moore said.

There are high expectations for taking over as Oregon’s starting quarterback. Gabriel was a Heisman Trophy finalist and was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Ducks have produced two first-round quarterbacks since Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. After Herbert in 2020, the Denver Broncos selected former Ducks quarterback Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Oregon is coming off an undefeated regular season and was ranked the No. 1 team in the nation. Although the postseason did not go as Oregon would have wanted, losing against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks are expected to be back in the College Football Playoff in 2025.

“This year has been a learning year for me,” Moore told On3’s Pete Nakos. “Transferring in with Dillon was probably one of the best things I ever did. Coming to Oregon and competing with Dillon and standing behind him. I learned a lot from him. He’s been in college for quite some time, and I’m glad that the Browns picked him up.”