Back in 2006, Nate Longshore had the kind of confidence that only a college quarterback can really get away with. Before Oregon’s trip to Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, the Cal quarterback reportedly left tickets for Britney Spears, and the detail was funny enough to get a reaction from Kirk Herbstreit on the national broadcast.
Longshore backed up the swagger on the field. Cal beat the No.
23 Ducks 45-27, with Longshore throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson and Justin Forsett piling up 163 rushing yards. Longshore did it again against Oregon in 2008, then went undrafted and eventually settled into a second act as a quarterback trainer in Southern California.
Now he’s using that platform to explain the modern challenge facing quarterbacks like Dante Moore. While promoting his training software, "The Quarterback Method," Longshore described what defenses are doing to stress passers after the snap:
"Advanced defenses are no longer giving the quarterback clean static pictures. They are presenting middle-open shells that spin middle-closed, simulated pressures that look like full pressure, safeties dropping late, nickel defenders inserting, and linebackers mugging the line before bailing into coverage. The defense is trying to expand the quarterback’s decision menu after the snap."
That’s the backdrop for the expectations around Moore at Oregon. The buzz assumes a 15-20 percent jump from him as a redshirt junior, while also assuming that Demond Williams, Jayden Maiava, Josh Hoover, Bryce Underwood and Julian Sayin won’t change much.
Moore brings plenty to work with. He has personality, charm and a huge arm, and last season he produced 30 big-time throws, the most in college football according to Pro Football Focus.
But the next step is bigger than arm talent. To help Oregon chase the national championship that keeps hanging out there, Moore has to get better against pressure and simulated pressure, sort out disguised coverages and make clean decisions in three seconds or less.
That task gets harder when you add in the rest of the equation: he threw 10 interceptions last year, he’s working with a new offensive coordinator and Oregon’s offensive line is rebuilding.
The Ducks trust the talent and the confidence. They just don’t have a guarantee. Moore still has to earn it.
And that makes his season one of the more interesting stories to watch in real time. No one knows yet whether he’s leaving tickets for Sidney Sweeney or Zendaya, but a summer trip to Japan and an offseason of work and development should push him closer to where he wants to go.
In Other News...
Three Former Ducks Just Landed A Massive NBA Prove-It Chance
A trio of former Oregon mens basketball players is getting another crack at the pro game this summer, with Nate Bittle, TJ Bamba and Brandon Angel all set for NBA Summer League action in 2026. For Ducks fans, it is a reminder that the programs recent roster churn still has players hanging around the leagues edges, where one strong showing can change a lot in a hurry.
Bittle and Angel are headed to Toronto, while Bamba is landing in Denver, giving each of them a real platform to make a case before camps open. Summer League is often a brief window, but for players trying to turn college success into a lasting NBA foothold, it is exactly the kind of stage that matters most. [Read more 🡒]
One Oregon Freshman Is Already Drawing Serious Big Ten Buzz
Oregons 2026 recruiting haul already has the Ducks sitting near the top of the national conversation, and the class is loaded with headline names like five-star safety Jett Washington, five-star edge rusher Anthony Jones and four-star offensive lineman Tommy Tofi. But among the arrivals, freshman tight end Kendre Harrison is the one drawing extra attention because of what he brings to a spot that suddenly looks much thinner than it did a year ago.
Harrison arrives with a strong recruiting rsum and a reputation as a rare athlete, which is why CBS Sports singled him out as a freshman to watch in the Big Ten. Oregon has a path for him to get on the field early if he can separate himself in a room that now leans heavily on Jamari Johnson, and the Ducks could use that kind of immediate help as they sort out the next layer of their offense. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning's Biggest Oregon Recruiting Win Still Sparks One Huge Debate
Dan Lanning has turned recruiting into one of Oregons clearest calling cards, and the Ducks keep stacking the kind of commitments that change how a class looks on paper and how it might look on Saturdays down the road. Recent additions such as Xavier Sabb, Hayden Stepp and Tae Walden Jr. have only reinforced that momentum, giving Oregon another wave of blue-chip talent and keeping the program near the top of the national conversation.
Still, the biggest wins in Eugene tend to come with a familiar debate attached: which pledge mattered most, and which one will end up shaping the roster first? The Ducks have had days that felt like turning points, from the kind of receiver commitment that can set the tone for an entire position group to the offensive line headliner fans already expect to compete quickly, and every new haul seems to revive the same question about how much of this recruiting surge is about star power now versus the payoff later. [Read more 🡒]