Dante Moore, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023 according to SI All-American, announced on social media that he is decommitting from Oregon and instead plans to attend UCLA.
The five-star recruit goes to high school in Michigan and originally committed to Oregon in July. He became the starting quarterback at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit as a freshman and has led the school to back-to-back Division 3 state championships.
Moore’s announcement comes one day after Ducks quarterback Bo Nix announced he is returning to Oregon next season for his final year in school. Meantime, Bruins starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is graduating after this season.
Moore told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that he made the decision after a recent visit to the Westwood campus.
“I talked to God and my people and really within myself,” he said. “I knew that UCLA was the right move for me.”
Moore mentioned that Oregon’s loss of offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham played a major role in the decision. Dillingham was hired as head coach at Arizona State last month.
“It’s a spot that I truly love still,” Moore said of Oregon. “No love lost at all. I appreciate them recruiting me and taking my commitment and understanding my position.”
The addition is huge for coach Chip Kelly, who has established UCLA as a Pac-12 contender in his fifth year with the program. After three seasons below .500 to open his Bruins tenure, Kelly has led UCLA to a 17-7 record and two bowl appearances over the past two years.
“He knows a lot about the body and how quarterbacks work and has a program that helps benefit the player,” Moore said. “I know Coach Kelly is a great mentor and a person I can trust my years being in college.”
