The Untold Reason Behind Dante Moore’s Shocking UCLA Exit: What Sparked His Move to Oregon?

Week 5 is throwing us a heavyweight bout — a Big Ten showdown that’s got everyone’s eyes glued: No. 6 Oregon heading into battle against No. 3 Penn State. This clash isn’t just another game on the calendar; it’s a pivotal pivot point, with conference supremacy and College Football Playoff dreams hanging in the balance. The quarterbacks? Oh, they’re the main event under those Friday night lights. Drew Allar of Penn State has carved out a reputation as one of the most steady and dependable arms in the nation, while Oregon’s Dante Moore is finally stepping into the spotlight, living up to the hype that accompanied his five-star arrival. Interestingly, Moore’s journey took a twist — he kicked off his college days at UCLA before making the switch to Oregon in ’23. There’s a lot to unpack there, and how that leap has reshaped his path is a story worth telling. LEARN MORE

One of the marquee matchups in Week 5 is a Big Ten clash between No. 6 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State. The top-10 showdown carries major conference title and College Football Playoff implications.

Saturday night’s spotlight will be on the quarterbacks. Penn State’s Drew Allar has settled in as one of the nation’s most reliable passers, while Oregon’s Dante Moore is beginning to fulfill the promise that made him a five-star recruit.

Moore, now in his second season with the Ducks, actually began his college career at UCLA before transferring to Oregon in 2023. Here’s a look back at what led to that move and how it shaped his trajectory.

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Why did Dante Moore transfer from UCLA to Oregon?

As previously mentioned, Moore began his career at UCLA. As a true freshman for the Bruins in 2023, his season got off to a strong start. He helped UCLA open 3-0 while throwing for seven touchdowns and one interception.

But as the season progressed, Moore’s turnover issues continued. He threw six interceptions over three games against Utah, Washington State and Oregon State, along with two fumbles. The Bruins lost to Utah and Oregon State and entered midseason at 4-2. Then-UCLA head coach Chip Kelly benched Moore in favor of backup Ethan Garbers.

Moore did see action at the end of the season against Cal with a banged-up Garbers, but he threw two interceptions in a 33-7 loss.

“There’s just a lot of things I’ve been going through, you know, mentally and things like that,” Moore said in his last interview as a Bruin. “Just far from home, and doing these types of things can be pretty tough at times.”

In early December, Moore entered the transfer portal. He told reporters he was looking for a place to develop as a quarterback:

Wonder if @MartinJarmond is reading the room now?

Dante Moore on his transfer from #UCLA: pic.twitter.com/UQRyigYIDJ

— Bruin Source (@BruinSource) November 30, 2023

A couple weeks later, Moore committed to Oregon. Moore was actually a longtime Oregon commit during his recruiting process, but flipped late to the Bruins.

The move appeared to be a smart one for Moore, as his UCLA coach he committed to in Kelly left the Bruins in Feb. 2024.

Last season, Moore backed up Oregon starting quarterback and Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel. So far as the Ducks’ starter in 2025, he appears to have found his groove. Through four games, he’s completed 74.7 percent of his passes—good for fourth in the country—with 962 yards and 11 touchdowns and just one interception.

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Moore as a recruiting prospect

Moore is a former 5-star recruiting prospect out of Detroit, Mich. Per the 247Sports Composite, he was the No. 3 overall quarterback prospect in the class of 2023, and ranked fourth overall nationally. He was verbally committed to Dan Lanning’s 2023 class from July-December of 2022, before flipping late to the Bruins.

Lanning may have lost Moore from his 2023 recruiting class. But the fact that he was able to land him again in the transfer portal shows just how much he is impressed by the quarterback. is pretty impressive.

“Dante’s a great example of someone that’s grown over time and learned how to prep, learned the answers to what defenses are doing,” Lanning said this week leading up to the Penn State game. “I think you look at a guy his freshman year, these protections are a little bit different, these packages are a little bit different.”

“Now you look at a guy that’s calm within the chaos and makes big moments seem small with the way he handles them,” Lanning continued.

Moore will likely face the toughest defense he’s seen thus far in Penn State. The Nittany Lions allow 123.3 yards in the air per game, and have nine sacks on the season so far. Oregon is a slight 3.5-point road underdog for Saturday.

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