Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dante Moore Has 'Keys To Lamborghini' Says Terrance Ferguson

"I think they're going to be great. Coach Lanning goes out and finds the best talent. Then also just developing those guys. As long as they buy into the program... I think it's only a matter of time before the Ducks go get a national championship," Ferguson continued.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning reloaded the roster in his fourth season as head coach. Oregon landed the No. 1 transfer portal player in offensive lineman Isaiah World, plus highly-coveted running back Makhi Hughes, defensive back Dillon Thieneman and wide receiver Malik Benson among others. Incoming freshmen to keep an eye on include receiver Dakorien Moore, defensive back Na'eem Offord and offensive tackle Ziyarre Addison.

With an abundance of incoming talent, Moore has the "keys to the Lamborghini" as the Ducks look to repeat as Big Ten champions and contend in the College Football Playoff. He also has big shoes to fill.

Headed to the NFL Draft are starters Ferguson, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James, receiver Tez Johnson, offensive linemen Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius plus defensive stars Jordan Burch, Jamaree Caldwell, Derrick Harmon, Jeffrey Bassa and Jabbar Muhammad. 

What makes Moore unique and why does Ferguson believe he's an excellent fit for the Ducks?

"What jumps off the table is his arm talent. He has one of the best arms I've ever seen," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "I think the maturity to come and sit a year behind Dillon Gabriel and learn - really make that as a business decision. I think that just shows how mature he is and how much he's grown as a player... Learning football and getting better each day in practice, not just sitting there, but also getting better during practice."

Ferguson has played football with many talented quarterbacks in his career, including Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Gabriel... His arm talent compliment is a huge stamp of approval.

The hype for Moore is real. Moore currently has the fifth-best odds of winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy at +1300 on FanDuel.

Moore saw limited playing time lin 2024 behind Heisman-Trophy finalist Gabriel. The former 5-star recruit out of Martin Luther King high school (Detroit, MI) transferred to Oregon from UCLA in December of 2023. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound signal-caller has had over a year in Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein's offensive system.

The Ducks will need Moore to live up to the lofty expectations in 2025. By the sounds of it, his teammates are confident.

A fan-favorite, Ferguson broke the Oregon all-time records for career receptions (134) and receiving touchdowns (16) by a tight end, and finished second all-time in career receiving yards (1,537) by a tight end.

The Ducks will certainly miss Ferguson and the feeling is mutual.

"I'm going to miss a lot," Ferguson said about the Ducks program and Eugene. "The people, and just the Oregon program poured into me. I'm forever a duck and grateful for the opportunity to go play at that University... Obviously the fans, they made it special since I came in as a 220 pound tight end as a freshman. All the way through my four years, (the fans) have been special and very caring people. I'm definitely going to miss the Duck fans and everything to do with Oregon."

Ferguson has racked up the airline miles since his final game as a Duck. The NFL Draft prospect trained at California Strength in Los Gatos, California and is now in his home state, training in Denver, Colorado to get ready for the draft while making visits to NFL teams. He's been working out with Nix, his former Oregon teammate, the last couple weeks in Denver.

Ferguson has met with the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers. He also had dinner with New York Jets tight ends coach Jeff Blasko in Eugene after Oregon Ducks Pro Day.

Ferguson's draft stock jumped after the NFL combine. Ferguson turned heads with the fastest 40-yard dash from a tight end (4.63-seconds) and highest vertical leap (39-inch) from a tight end.

"I think that surprised a few people… I think I showed a lot of people that I'm a better athlete than a lot of people thought, at the combine,” Ferguson said. “Something I wanted to show going through this process - I’m a versatile player who works hard and shows up in big moments. That's something I take pride in. So I think what (an NFL team) is getting (in me).”

Ferguson's agent projects he will be a day two NFL draft selection, which are rounds 2-3. Ferguson plans to get together with a small group of friends and family for the draft in Colorado to celebrate. A childhood dream, the last few months have not quite sank in yet.

“It's kind of been surreal still,” Ferguson told Amaranthus. “I’m just like chugging through the process and I don't think I really took a moment to even think about that. I've been on countless Zooms, meetings, flying everywhere, working out. And so I haven't really stopped to realize in a couple weeks, my dream will come true. So I think it'll be it'll be surreal.”

The next chapter of Ferguson's football career will begin at the NFL Draft, which will take place from April 24 to April 26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It's a busy Duck weekend as Oregon's spring game is on Saturday, April 26, and will kick off at 1 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium.

“I wanted to leave Oregon a better place than I found it,” Ferguson told Amaranthus. “It's a historic program. Being able to be part of those elite teams - that was the best part. The records were just a part of that.  I ended up with some good quarterbacks to throw me the ball.”

Ferguson interview is linked below.