Dan Lanning Pressured to Do the Unthinkable After Evan Stewart’s Injury Triggers Panic for Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are aiming for a natty this season. However, setbacks keep mounting. Their 2024 regular season saw Dan Lanning’s team go undefeated. Their postseason ended with a tough Ohio State loss. Determined not to let history repeat itself, Lanning stacked his roster with key playmakers like Jeremiah McClellan and Evan Stewart. Just when it looked like all the pieces were falling into place, disaster hit them hard: Stewart went down with a knee injury in practice, impacting the receiving corps. However, Oregon’s hopes aren’t dashed, as there’s already a hungry talent waiting in the wings, ready to step up and keep Oregon’s title hopes alive.

Replacing a guy like Evan Stewart, who didn’t enter the 2025 NFL draft just to stay at Oregon with Dan Lanning, isn’t that easy. Plus, if injury keeps him out for this season, things might turn tricky for the entire team, as he is the only hope for Dante Moore’s smooth transition as a starter. Evan finished last season with 48 receptions, 613 yards, and a career-high five TDs, so if not him, who else can take up the reins? Well, the Ducks already lost their two key WRs to the NFL, Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden. Then who’s that hidden playmaker?

It’s none other than five-star recruit Dakorien Moore, who’s already turning heads after making a strong impact during the spring practice. Even veteran WR Gary Bryant Jr. applauded his off-field work and said, “Very explosive. He’s a young guy that came in here and already got the playbook down. He could play any position in the receiving room, from X, Y, Z, to A. He’s an explosive receiver, has good hands, has good routes, and has good size. I think the future’s bright for him for sure.” Best part? He is already generating buzz like Jeremiah Smith, whose rookie season turned Ohio State’s fate last year.

Locked On Ducks (Oregon) host Spencer McLaughlin didn’t mince words before making that bold comparison. “How is this about to be big-time Dakorien Moore season? I mean, when one door closes, another door opens. This situation, if Evan Stewart is actually out for the entire year, stinks for the Oregon offense. They’ve still got a bunch of weapons, but does this open the door for Oregon to just unleash Dokorien Moore and allow him to have a Jeremiah Smith/Ryan Williams-type season?” That sure makes sense.

Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith started as rookies with no experience playing in CFB last season, and the rest is history. Smith didn’t just win natty with his team but also broke the FBS freshman receiving record. Whereas Williams started at the age of 17 and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors from his debut performance against Western Kentucky last year. So, who knows? This time it could be Dakorien Moore. What works for Dakorien Moore is that Dan Lanning’s team already has a strong WR room, so there’s no added pressure on his shoulders.

“He doesn’t have to produce; there’s no pressure or relying on this guy to be everything that we’ve hyped him up to be in our heads and on shows like this one, and it’s because there are a bunch of veterans in front of him like Gary Bryant, like Justius Lowe, like Evan Stewart, like Malik Benson. Maybe Jurrion Dickey and Kyler Casper see a legitimate role in the offense this year,” McLaughlin highlighted. On top of that, the emerging “Moore to Moore connection” can also turn things around for them.

But how? Following Evan Stewart’s knee injury, the chemistry between Dante and Dakorien becomes even more important for Oregon’s offense. The pair have developed a bond during practice, building their connection through competition and communication.  They’ve spent spring practices holding each other accountable and working through mistakes to elevate their play. “I’ve cussed him out many times, but he appreciated it,” Dante Moore said. “He’s a great dude. He’s pushing me. If I mess up my throw, I’m blaming myself. I love him to death.”

And with Dan Lanning’s WR room getting a strong foot, his QB situation is also getting better.

Dan Lanning’s QB situation finally gets a backing

Dan Lanning’s QB carousel is anything but straight. After a brief stint at UCLA, Dante Moore returned to Oregon, backing up Dillon Gabriel throughout the 2024 season, which makes him a key contender for the starting role this season, but he’s not alone in the quarterback competition; Austin Novosad and Luke Moga are also vying for the starting role.

Replacing Dillon Gabriel, who finished 2024 exceptionally strong, isn’t that straightforward. The QB completed 326 of 447 passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He also added 75 carries for 149 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Replacing the now-Cleveland Browns quarterback is a daunting task, but it looks like Dante Moore’s resume finally got that push. But how?

We all know that Moore has yet to take a snap for the Ducks, but this limited playing time could become a major asset for him. Yes, you heard it right. According to On3’s J.D. PicKell, Moore’s time as a bench player improved his understanding of the Ducks’ system. “My biggest takeaway is he is going to be able to, I think, play with better anticipation, having sat for a year in that offense, because what you saw from him at UCLA was a lot of learning on the fly. Now the arm talent is obvious,” Pickell emphasized, highlighting how valuable that breathing room has been.

With an unfamiliar Oregon OC, Will Stein, things were tricky at first, but Moore eventually developed strong chemistry with him, hinting at a bright future for one of college football’s top offenses. Now, that learning period is what makes the difference. As Pickell highlights, “The physical tools are obvious. But with him now being in a Will Stein system, where he knows where to go with the football before the play even starts, or he knows his reads before the play even starts, and it’s not a thinking through. It’s just a playing-football kind of thing. That’s going to serve him well. Because that’s how Oregon’s offense runs.”

On top of that, Moore also boasts a strong resume of completing 114 of 213 passes for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he also threw nine interceptions, resulting in a 53.5% completion rate. Now, let’s wait and see how this season unfolds for Dan Lanning and the team, with a rising quarterback and an emerging wide receiver leading the charge.

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