The Oregon Ducks have shown early this season that the roster is littered with talent on both sides of the ball, evident by their blowout wins in the first four games, but true freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore might be the most exciting of the bunch.
It’s clear that Oregon coach Dan Lanning and staff have flexed their recruiting muscles at the high school level and the transfer portal, with a little NIL help of course, and there’s no doubt that any amount of money was worth it to get Moore.
The Ducks were able to sway Moore away from his home state of Texas and head across the country to Eugene, where he is already showing that he could be the next big star in college football in the coming years before inevitably heading to the NFL. Look no further than the praise he has received from Lanning.
Dan Lanning Praises Dakorien Moore’s Ability
After the 41-7 win over the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Lanning touched on what makes Moore such a tough cover for opposing defenses and cornerbacks alike.
“I mean, what makes him good is he catches it, right? And, you know, he’s been a guy that can win those one-on-ones. I think there’s some opportunities that he wishes he had back today, but ultimately, he’s a tough guy to guard, and if he can beat you over the top, he’ll win over the top, if you’re even, he’s going to be able to beat you on the back.”
Moore has displayed some unique aggressiveness as a pass-catcher when the ball is in the air, but also shows little hesisttion to fight for extra yardage after the catch.
Add on top of that his willingness to deliver violent blocks for his teammates, Moore is about as close as it comes to a complete wide receiver at the college level.
Dakorien Moore’s Stats Through Four Games
With the amount of weapons the Ducks have on offense combined with the blowout nature of their first four games, Moore hasn’t seen a ton of touches, but there’s no doubt he’s made the most of his looks.
So far during his freshman year, he’s posted 12 catches for a team-leading 207 receiving yards and two touchdowns along with three carries for 42 yards and another score.
As the competition increases during Big Ten play, it’s likely the coaching staff will look to lean on Moore even further in games that will be much tighter than the Ducks have been used to during the first four weeks.
That could begin on Saturday in Happy Valley as No. 6 Oregon visits the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in a highly-anticipated rematch of the Big Ten Championship Game from last season.
