Dante Moore will be a Duck.

On Friday, the 5-star quarterback from Detroit (Mich.) King, announced live on SportsCenter that he’ll begin his collegiate career with Oregon. It’s a massive coup for first-time head coach Dan Lanning and signals the second cycle in three years the Ducks have added the highest-rated quarterback recruit in their progrum’s history.

Moore chose the Ducks over a group that included Texas A&M, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Per the 247 Composite, he rates as the 12th-best prospect in the 2023 class, the fourth-best quarterback, and the top recruit from the state of Michigan. Moore was also the top-ranked quarterback left on the board.

Oregon has been all-in on his recruitment for quite some time. The Ducks brought him to campus for an official visit at the end of April, then had him back in Eugene for the showcase weekend to close out June. Assuming he does indeed sign with the Ducks, he’ll be the fifth-highest-rated recruit, regardless of position, Oregon has signed in the 247Sports era.

It simply can’t be overstated what this recruitment means for Lanning and the Ducks going forward.

Sure, the new coaching staff in place was able to salvage and, in some ways, build on the 2022 class once they joined the fold. But this 2023 cycle was going to be Lanning’s first full cycle to run the show. Oregon went toe-to-toe with national brands for a nationally-renowned quarterback and won. Lanning pulled a 5-star from the other side of the country. Most thought he’d be able to recruit well in Eugene. He’s doing big things immediately, and that has to be promising.

It says quite a bit about this staff’s ability to build connections, Lanning’s ability to sell the future, and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s ability to illustrate his offensive vision. Ty Thompson (the 2021 signee mentioned earlier) and Bo Nix are competing for the starting job this season, but expect Moore to come in right away and compete for the job in 2023 regardless of who remains in the room.

He’s that talented.

From his 247Sports scouting report by Allen Trieu:

Stands in against the rush and will deliver throws while taking hits. Does a nice job of reading coverages and does well throwing into windows against zone coverages. Anticipates well and gets rid of the ball quickly. Throws with good touch down the field. Can fire it in there when he needs to. Has good arm strength but would not classify the pure velocity as elite. Very consistent with ball placement and mechanics as we have seen very few wayward passes from him through three years of game and camp eval. … Physical traits are good, but it is his intangible traits that are elite. Works extremely hard and that total package projects him to be a multi-year college starter and someone who can be an early draft choice.

Moore has been a varsity starter since his freshman season. That first year, he led King to an 11-3 record and a Michigan Division II state runner-up finish. Last fall, as a junior, he led King to a 13-1 mark and the Michigan Division III state title. For his play, he was named the MaxPreps Michigan High School Football Player of the Year after throwing for 3,044 yards and 40 touchdowns.

The prospect of him and 4-star wideout commit Jurrion Dickey—who appears to be criminally underrated even as the 88th-best recruit in the class—is tantalizing, to say the least. And with Moore in the fold now, perhaps more blue-chippers decide Oregon is the place to be. We saw a similar domino effect in Miami when 4-star Jaden Rashada announced his commitment there. Oregon could see the same kind of boon.

Moore’s verbal pledge gives the Ducks their 11th known commitment for the 2023 cycle. It also propels the class up from 29th to 17th in the 247 class rankings.

You can view Moore’s highlight tape below, via Hudl: