Inside the Oregon Ducks QB Room: Which Signal-Caller Will Rise as the 2025 Season Approaches?

Let’s look at the whole picture, breaking down who arrived this year, who left, and who remains at the quarterback spot going into spring football.For starters, let’s go under center and begin with the quarterbacks.Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.In the future, they have options. Novosad has eligibility remaining, and Luke Moga is a talented player who should continue to develop. We will wait to see what Akili Smith Jr. can bring to the table this spring as a freshman, but he was the No. 15 QB in the 2025 class, so expectations should be high. Beyond that, the Ducks got a commitment from 4-star Bryson Beaver, the No. 6-ranked QB in the 2026 class, per On3.We are less than 50 days away from the start of the 2025 college football season, and fewer than two weeks stand between us and the beginning of the Oregon Ducks‘ fall camp getting off the ground in Eugene. While coaches and players wrap up their final couple of offseason weeks, we’re ready to dive back into things and take a deep dive into what’s set to take place at Autzen Stadium this year.Career Stats: 14 Games — 121-for-221, 1,659 yards, 11 TDs, 9 INTs

Overall Oregon Ducks QB Check-In

In general, the Oregon quarterback room is in a great place right now and looking ahead to the future. Moore is expected to take over as a plus starter in 2025 and potentially in 2026 as well, assuming he doesn’t go to the NFL. The Ducks’ present outlook is set.Career Stats: NoneAnalysis: Many fans are already rewarding Moore with the QB1 job in 2025, but let’s not be so quick to count Novosad out of the race. While Moore may be favored to win the starting job, there will still be an open competition for the spot, and based on what we’ve heard from coaches and players this year, Novosad has made great improvements and will be in the mix.

Oregon Ducks QB Departures

Dillon Gabriel (NFL)

Over the next few weeks, many questions will be asked, and a significant number of them will be answered. Once we get a look at things during fall camp, we will be able to predict more accurately how things shape up. However, we already have our depth chart projections for offense and defense from spring. As we continue our preview of the 2025 season leading up to the kick-off vs. Montana State on August 30, let’s take a deep dive, position by position.As long as nothing drastic happens, Oregon’s quarterback room should be among the best in the nation for the foreseeable future under Dan Lanning.

Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele (Transfer)

Analysis: With Sagapolutele transferring out of Oregon, Akili Smith Jr. is now the Ducks’ lone QB in the 2025 recruiting class, and he will come in and work to establish a place on the depth chart and try to earn the starting role in years to come after likely redshirting as a freshman.Analysis: With Sagapolutele transferring out of Oregon, Akili Smith Jr. is now the Ducks’ lone QB in the 2025 recruiting class, and he will come in and work to establish a place on the depth chart and try to earn the starting role in years to come after likely redshirting as a freshman.Analysis: With Sagapolutele transferring out of Oregon, Akili Smith Jr. is now the Ducks’ lone QB in the 2025 recruiting class, and he will come in and work to establish a place on the depth chart and try to earn the starting role in years to come after likely redshirting as a freshman.Can you feel it in the air? We’re barreling down fast toward the kickoff of the 2025 college football season — less than 50 days now. And right on its heels, the Oregon Ducks are about to open the gates for fall camp in Eugene in less than a fortnight. With coaches and players wrapping up the last scraps of offseason prep, I’m gearing up to unpack all the drama and promise Autzen Stadium holds this year. Coming off a stellar stretch — 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten title, and snagging the top seed in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff — the Ducks face a new chapter. They sent a record 10 players to the NFL draft, shaking up the roster, but in their place stands a fresh crop of young, gifted talent eager to carry the torch and keep the momentum alive. Sure, the expectations are sky-high. But walking the walk in Eugene? That’s always a grind. We’re going to dig into every nook — from offense to defense — leading up to the season opener against Montana State on August 30. So, buckle up as we start this journey right where it begins: under center, with the quarterbacks. LEARN MORE

Predicting the Oregon Ducks QB Starter

Prediction: Dante Moore

Career Stats: 63 Games — 1,376-for-2,111, 18,722 yards, 155 TDs, 32 INTs

Overall Oregon Ducks QB Outlook

Career Stats: 6 Games — 11-for-13, 52 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTsWhen it comes to quarterback success, there have been few teams that have enjoyed as much as the Ducks over the decades. That success has been particularly highlighted over the last three years, with a run of Heisman Trophy finalists in Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.The Ducks are coming off of an incredible season that saw a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The offseason brought significant roster turnover as Oregon sent a program record 10 players into the 2025 NFL draft; however, those players have been replaced by a young yet incredibly talented group of players ready to uphold the standard in Eugene.

Analysis: After flipping from the California Golden Bears on signing day, 5-star QB Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele joined the Ducks for a couple of weeks leading up to the Rose Bowl. However, after a handful of practices, he entered the transfer portal and returned to Cal after realizing he would not be a Day 1 starter for Oregon.