The Oregon Ducks have already started three different quarterbacks this season.
Dante Moore began the season as starting QB before injury. Dylan Raiola was the next man up. And last week, Brock Thomas got the QB1 nod against Nebraska.
That certainly hasn’t made it easy for Ducks head coach Dan Lanning to have a coherent plan from week to week, but some seasons work like this, where you sort of have to just keeping put tape on the problem and hope it stays together.
The next test of Oregon’s quarterback setup will be Saturday when the Ducks play a Big Ten game at Illinois.
One piece of the puzzle is determined, but not yet all of it.
Is Dante Moore Playing This Week?
Moore will not be playing at Illinois.
The Big Ten’s availability report that was released on Wednesday showed that Moore remains out.
It’ll be the third consecutive game that Moore misses after sustaining a concussion when USC hit him late on Sept. 26.
Lanning has told reporters that Moore has been at practice and has been throwing. It’s not clear if he still has to clear some stage of concussion protocol or if there are other reasons the Ducks are holding him out.
Who’s Starting QB for Oregon This Week?
The choice hasn’t been made public yet between Raiola and Thomas.
Raiola was the QB2 since the start of the season, having transferred in from Nebraska.
When Moore left the USC game, Raiola came in and played well.
But then in Raiola’s first start, he struggled mightily against UCLA and was benched for the original third-stringer Thomas.
The roles were reversed on Saturday against Nebraska. Thomas started, but Raiola came into the game and threw the game-winning touchdown.
Raiola is certainly the more conceptually talented player. He was the No. 1 QB recruit in his class. Thomas was a local star in Eugene who stayed home to play for the Ducks — a cool story in his own way, but not blessed with the physical tools of Raiola.
The only real hint there is at the moment is that Raiola spoke to the media on Wednesday, not Thomas. That would suggest that Lanning is giving the QB1 role back to Raiola.
It’s still not clear when Moore is coming back, but Oregon needs to keep winning regardless. They’re 4-2 on the season, and another loss would almost certainly eliminate them from potentially making the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
Who’s Oregon Starting QB This Week? Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola, Brock Thomas Updates