Our Oregon football program didn’t waste any time bouncing back from a crushing College Football Playoff loss to Indiana on Friday. They’ve jumped into transfer portal action to replace key positions, as a significant portion of the roster’s depth has been depleted on offense, defense, and special teams. Monday’s haul was highlighted by landing one of the top-ranked quarterback transfers: ...

Oregon Football: Grading the Dylan Raiola Transfer

We just have to wait until Moore announces and Raiola responds to see where this is truly headed.

I sure hope Dante comes back for another year. 20 starts! He is still learning how to read defenses at the college level; let alone adjusting to pro caliber speeds. As for Raiola, I believe he knows there is a chance he sits for a season and is okay with it.

Dan needs find an excellent QB coach to help not only with Dante's progress, but the rest of the QB room. I'd very much like to see Akili Smith Jr. start to emerge from the pack. A high level QB coach could really bring the best out of him!

I'm going to 'Wait a Minute' before grading Raiola's signing. I'm going to wait until I understand the plan. Will Dylan be an understudy for a season? If so, or if he starts in 2026, I'm going to wait until I see him playing in the Oregon system surrounded by better players and with better coaching.

Dan Lanning and friends identified Raiola early on as the guy they wanted. The deal to bring Dylan to Eugene was probably (wink, wink) agreed to before or shortly after Dylan entered the portal. Otherwise, I think Dylan would have taken a few visits, no? No fault directed at either party; this is how portal picking works.

Three of the Final 4 QBs are one year (subject to Chambliss' suit against the NCAA) starters. Dante is a transfer who basically went to school last season and learned on the job this season.

Until there is a collective bargaining agreement between 'management', as however defined, and a players' union, it makes sense to go with an experienced QB, even if he has only one year of remaining eligibility.

This is simply the name of today's game at every position. Talented young players not assured of starting at any position will be poached, as is the case with OBD's youngsters on the D-side of the ball.

Dante's maturity in spending a year in training, and possibly the same decision by Raiola, is the exception and not the rule. However, Dante in 2024 and Raiola this season, should he sit and wait, are not doing so for free.

Oregon hit on every transfer it brought in for the 2025 season. Looking at programs, Florida State and Penn State, for example, OBD once again received an excellent return on its portal investment.

Clemson and Penn State started QBs developed within the system and played one another in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Danno 'gets it.' And I trust his judgement.

Thanks for this article Alex. I have had the same concerns as you. How does this really work with both of them on the same team? FWIW I asked CHAT GPT what was the length of the healing process for a male athlete with a broken fibula and it seems to be completely healed within six months.

I really don't know what to make of this, I don't like getting another QB who can't move around and extend plays. This is more of a personal preference, but I like athletic QBs who can make plays when things break down. If you look at our history we usually do our best when we have a dynamic QB who can freelance when things break down.

Moore really struggled to do this against the elite defenses, if he had a bit of escapability then he might have been able to produce a bit more offense. You are putting a lot on your O-line if you don't have a QB who can at least step up in the pocket. Moore strikes me as a someone who can do this when things are going well, but is very fragile once he takes the first hit.

If I had to pick between two I would rather have Leavitt just watching the two of them play. I obviously don't know the finer details about the two, but I know that just watching the two of them play, Leavitt is the one that makes me get out of my seat more often.

Guess it's just wait and see at the point.

Great thoughts Alex, and I chalk this up to how MOST of my judgements are about the program come from knowing nothing of the truth on the inside of the Oregon football program. I can have an opinion from a distant view, but I and we do not know any details.

With that being said....our coaches are human and make mistakes too on occasion. This Raiola move will provide plenty of entertainment and discussion here on the OBD forum!