Charles Fischer

Yep. I had many reservations, and in fact have come out in the forum stating that I did NOT want Oregon to recruit Moore in the last month. Throws a flat ball, no pocket presence, and body language of entitlement at times. But the coaches know better than I, so whether it is their decision with Thompson or Moore--I will give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Good! We want critical analysis that gives credit where due and grief when deserved. To see how this QB situation plays out? It will be great drama and entertainment.

That was GREAT fun...THANK YOU for sharing it. Never heard it described that way before!

When it comes to having fun with USC....

Key words...."inside gaps." If you run a QB between the tackles where he can get hit at the knees from the side by linebackers, and smashed from in front by safeties...then you only have yourselves to blame when he gets hurt. Scrambles from drop-back passing, open lanes from Zone Reads, and occasional QB sweeps makes sense, IMHO.

I was going to paraphrase, but instead I will just share the entire post at another site that YukonDuck wrote there, and he has some observations that might be of help... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Someone on here mentioned that Dante Moore sets us up for the next four or five years. Totally agree. If we can convince Moore and Akili Smith Jr. to stay for four years apiece with NIL money and a chance to be develop their craft, we will have a chance to win a national championship each of the next five years. Dillon Gabriel will be the starter next year, but Moore will be a quality backup able to play if needed. With the new playoff format, teams can lose a couple of games, but if they get hot at the right moment, they can win it all. It's not the team with the most talent; it will be the team with the most depth. After the announcement last night, I went back with an objective eye and watched an embarrassing amount of Dante Moore highlights. In my opinion, Moore has a Justin Herbert-type of arm. He clearly can make NFL-level throws, the type of throws that fewer than a 100 people on Planet Earth can make. I found the Utah highlights to be the most interesting. UCLA and Utah were both at 3-0 entering the game and, if UCLA had won, that probably would have changed the trajectory of the Bruins season and of Moore as a player at UCLA. Moore lost that game on his first play with a pick-6. His stats weren't great: 15 of 35 for 234 yards, one touchdown and one INT. He lost a fumble on what looked like a scoring drive in the third quarter. But he threw some otherworldly passes, including one for 45 yards that was incredible in the fourth quarter, a type of pass why so many people on this board are so excited about him. Utah's defense also was as dominant as it looked all season. Moore was sacked seven times and these weren't holding-the-ball-too-long sacks. These were sacks where Moore got the snap and someone was in his face. On the final drive, Utah DE Jonah Ellis took him down immediately twice. Watching all the highlights including the All-American game last year, Moore's arm strength jumps off the screen. It's kind of like you can't teach height in basketball. You got that arm or you ain't got it. He can throw a 50-yard pass that will stretch the field and keep defenses honest. What he needs to do is make the routine passes, the six- or seven-yard passes, what the great Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin describes as making the routine plays routinely. If he can develop in that area, then he could be an all-time great Duck. I don't think he'll ever be a running quarterback. I'm surprised, because he looks athletic. He probably needs to develop better movement in the pocket and sometimes, a quarterback needs to run for a seven-yard gain. He's got a better arm than Bo Nix, but Bo Nix is much more of an athlete when it comes to running the ball. Another poster on this board compared Moore's stats with all of the other true freshmen quarterbacks in this class. Great perspective. Here's Moore's stats compared with the Bo Nix and Justin Herbert as true freshmen: Dante Moore: 1,610 yards passing, 53.5% completion rate, 7.6 yards per attempt, 11 TDs, 9 INTs in nine games Bo Nix: 2,542 yards passing, 57.6% completion rate, 6.9 yards per attempt, 16 TDs, 6 INTs in 13 games Justin Herbert: 1,936 yards passing, 63.5% completion rate, 7.6 yards per attempt, 19 TDs, 4 INT, eight games The numbers that I pay attention to when I look at quarterbacks are completion percentage and yards/attempt. (The best stat I think is processing speed, but I'm not sure who keeps track of that.) Moore's completion percentage ain't great. A 50+% was fine in the 1980s, but this isn't the 1980s. He's going to have to bump that up significantly or he and the Ducks won't do what they need to do. But Nix did. He improved his completion percentage significantly. In his two years at Oregon, Nix completed 71.9% and 77.2% of his passes. If Moore increases his completion percentage by 20% in four years...wow. The other stat that I really value is yards per completion. I think 7.6 yards per attempt is great as a freshman. That's where Moore can really excel. If he can get it up to 9.5 yards/attempt like Bo Nix did his senior year, then we've got something. (By the way, Herbert's stats never really developed. By his senior year, Herbert was completing passes at 66.8% clip and only 8.1 yards per attempt. Thanks, Cristobal! Way to waste an All-Pro talent.) If we're being honest, the players that you would want on your team just based on those stats alone would be Herbert first, then Nix and Moore last. Again, I think Moore wasn't in a great spot at UCLA. Not a great offensive line. That Utah game rattled him. Maybe Moore remains No. 3 on the list after his Duck career is over. If he's in their ballpark, we could still win a national championship. Another way to measure quarterbacks: Moore was 3-3 in the games he started. Nix was 9-4. Herbert was 2-5. (One side note: Chip benched Moore after the Oregon State game when an anemic Stanford was on the schedule. Another chance for Moore to get better and feel better. Chip is a smart guy, as I'm sure he'll tell you, but that feels like losing the war to win the battle to me.) Every year from here on out is all about getting to the playoffs. Again, depth will be key once you get there. That's why I always felt that Moore was the season's key recruit behind only Gabriel next year. Moore will hopefully get meaningful snaps against Hawaii and Idaho and several other games. If we need him against a Wisconsin or a Washington or a run in the playoffs, he's got the talent to win with the talent around him and if we develop him.

And I just received a backlink order today from Plovdiv, Bulgaria! It will be in a future article...global business! (Not big business, but global business to pay the FishDuck bills!)

That is fantastic information David, as I did not know that Oklahoma depended so much on Gabriel in their running game. So he must have some good running skills that will be helpful for the occasional scramble or Zone Read by our QB. But I personally do NOT want a QB being a major ball carrier, because as a long time Duck fan--I seen too many seasons trashed by an injured QB. Blocking is blocking regardless of who is running the ball, and if the blocking is not there on a play, then either the blocking technique went wrong, or it was a bad play design. Or it was a defensive call, (a corner blitz for example) that blows up an occasional play. We have more than enough plays in the playbook to be high scoring without a QB running very often, IMHO. Dillion is a gifted passer, and it makes sense to fully utilize that talent, IMHO, again.

I am going to politely disagree. I do not know where you received the impression that the majority of Oregon fans think that Moore is less experienced than Thompson? Everyone knows that Moore started games and played extensively this year, and at times--was not very good. Oregon coaches can't develop young talent? They developed TT with enough progress to sell you on retaining him, and when you consider the high scoring offense this year, and recruiting three 4-Star QBs before he ever called a play? I think Will Stein has shown quite a bit of expertise in his first year. But we can disagree--no biggie.

There is not. Just people....

Ouch!

No, I reported what was going on, but I did not "predict" it. When I actually make a prediction, and am right..."I am impossible to live with." But I did not predict this one, but have been torn about it. I trust Lanning/Stein on this one.

Colorado needed experienced OL bad. This was quite a.... Love it!

So, there were 28 starting OGs in the B1G last year, and Bedford was the 6th best rated in the B1G? That doesn't suck.

I believe we will fill that before portal season is over. No guarantee, but Lanning has been damn good at recruiting Defensive Linemen...

He might be here to replace Ajani Cornelius...if he goes to the NFL? Or, Bedford is the ultimate OL Swiss Army knife; he can play any tackle or guard. 4-year starter at Indiana - started at LT in 2019 as a true freshman - started at RT in 2020 as a sophomore - started at RG in 2021 - started 1 game at RG in 2022 before missing rest of year due to injury - started at RG in 2023 2835 career snaps. That's an insanely large number, as Steven Jones had 1500 before last season. Harper has 1554 right now.

From another report about him: “Bedford was graded as Indiana’s best offensive lineman this past season by Pro Football Focus, with a grade of 69.2. According to PFF, he allowed two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures. PFF graded Bedford as the sixth-best guard in the Big Ten and only three guards had a better run blocking grade.” Oppsy!

I don't think we will take as many this year, IMHO. Four to seven total this year is my estimate.

Flipped him from Sanders at Colorado? Two for one! However, he is at the position the Oklahoma OL would be, who would have three years left compared to this guy. But geez...he looks like a Steven Jones clone. Did I know about him? Nope....

This is from another site, and thought I'd pass it along. We do not have a report on the Michigan State NT, Harmon, but the visit did go well. The coaches are treading carefully at WR, as they do not have answers from Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden about returning next year. A transfer could possibly drive one or both off, so that position might not be resolved until after the bowl season. There is smoke about another big DT who knows Oregon well, that might be playing his bowl game, and then going into the portal before the January 2nd cutoff for entering the portal. (They can sign after that date as long as they have already gone into the portal by the Jan. 2nd date) In fact, a whole new group of portal prospects will become available after bowl season, so know that the transfer recruiting season will stretch out a bit. Texas A&M DL Walter Nolen Intel: The top overall player in the transfer portal, Walter Nolen spent this past weekend at Ole Miss. With two years of eligibility remaining and the ability to play immediately, the Rebels are viewed as the team to beat for the 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman. A Mississippi native, Nolen spent his junior year of high school in Memphis before playing in Knoxville as a senior. Playing at Ole Miss would mean being closer to family, too. Would be a big pickup for Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding, edging out Oregon. UCLA QB Dante Moore Intel: The UCLA transfer was on the West Coast this weekend, making his official visit to Oregon. While Michigan has been in the mix, the Ducks appear to be the team to beat. With college football now in the dead period until January, it’s significant that he took his only visit to Eugene. Oregon offers everything he’s looking for – an opportunity to develop and learn and play on the national stage. The familiarity with Dan Lanning and the staff makes a difference, too. A source said the trip went “very well.” Oklahoma OL Cayden Green Intel: The Oklahoma offensive tackle is viewed as one of the top available players at his position in the portal. He spent this weekend making visits to Oregon and Mizzou. The Ducks and Tigers are the two clear-cut favorites, multiple sources tell On3. Both visits went well and we should have more clarity on which way Green is leaning in the days ahead. Kansas State S Kobe Savage Intel: Kobe Savage headed to the West Coast this past weekend, visiting Washington and Oregon. The Ducks have this one wrapped up, though. Savage is expected to announce his commitment any day now, a major pickup for Tosh Lupoi’s secondary

Great article....a very informative article. Thank you Mike, (Grandpa Duck) for making the complex a whole lot easier to understand!

So there are more OSU/WSU fans than Oregon fans? He thinks he is going to appeal to both? Who wants to read about a Mountain West+ conference?

You are dealing with big topic, while I am referring to what Canzano just wrote. He is stating how ALL of the fans of 10 departing schools feel. Do you think that is accurate? I think if your name was smeared on a personal basis by so many Beavers fans as mine has been....you might feel differently! JB89: I appreciate this forum for allowing the posting of opposing opinions. Go Ducks! Amen Duck-Brother. We disagree on this, but I too love how we can vociferously disagree without it becoming personal. We state our opinions, and that is it.