Dante Moore hasn't 'changed who he is' as Oregon role grows

From an outside perspective, I’m not sure we ever put into context what it’s like to be a college athlete in today’s landscape. We watch these guys play football on Saturdays and dissect their production at a granular level. We listen to them answer questions in the media and draw conclusions based on what they say. We treat them like professionals, largely because, in the world of name, image, and likeness, it’s a better descriptor than ‘amateur.’

But still, they’re kids.

Kids with money at their disposal. Be it thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars, the new era of college football has created a world where 18- to 21-year-olds have to grow up fast. A perfect example of this is Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore.

This summer, Moore turned 21. He also saw his face on billboards in Tokyo, Japan, participated in EA Sports photo shoots, and graced the stage at a Zach Bryan concert. Before the offseason, Moore inked an NIL contract to stay at Oregon, lining his pockets with millions of dollars.

Can you imagine? That type of money is obviously life-changing, but what’s impressed Oregon offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer the most is that it wasn’t self-changing. Despite everything that’s changed in Moore’s life, he’s been able to stay true to his core.

“I think one of the things that makes Dante great is that Dante is going to be uniquely himself all the time,” Mehringer said. “That doesn’t mean he’s going to be himself in spite of his responsibilities. I think he embraces that role.”

If you’ve seen Moore operate this offseason, it’s likely you’ve noticed the sense of calm that he gives off. Whether it’s an interview on ESPN, or standing in front of a camp of young footballers, it doesn’t feel as if any moment is too big to rattle the QB. At this point, as he heads into the fourth year of his college career, Moore says things have clicked into place off the field and on, giving him a laid-back nature that feels both cool and collected.

“It’s confidence. At the end of the day, all these interviews and questions are just normal conversations,” Moore said at Oregon’s Media Day. ” It’s about having a normal conversation. You never want to put yourself in a position where you’re worried about saying the wrong things.”

While Moore has embraced his new reality and is taking the spotlight all in stride, that doesn’t change the fact that what he’s doing, and how he’s handling his fame, is impressive. Put yourself in his shoes: a young kid with ambition, a bright future, and a lot of money to spend with the eyes of the world on you. How would you handle it?

“These are 21-year-old kids who are having to grow up like 15 years, seemingly overnight,” Mehringer said. “But the cool thing about him is he’s never not been himself. Despite everything else that goes around him, at his heart he’s still a kid who likes to hang out at his house. He doesn’t like to do a whole lot. He’ll hang out with the guys from time to time. He’s just a normal kid. He likes to play golf now, which is great. How has he handled it? I think he’s taken everything in stride. Part of the cool thing about that — and you don’t see it very often — is he hasn’t changed who he is. He hasn’t changed his values. He hasn’t changed his routines. He hasn’t changed anything about himself.”

For the Ducks, Moore not changing anything would be great for the upcoming season, so long as it leads to just as much production on the field. A year ago, No. 5 threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading Oregon to a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Of course, the season ended on a low note for the Ducks, getting blown out in the Peach Bowl by the Indiana Hoosiers, one game short of the national championship. If Oregon is going to go all the way this year and bring that first championship trophy in program history back to Eugene, Moore is going to have to do more. Fortunately, he’s grounded enough to know that amidst all of the outside noise.

“He just understands, ‘Hey, there are a few more things I’ve got to do,'” Mehringer said. “I think that’s hard for a 21-year-old to be able to do, but he’s done it extremely well.”

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dante Moore hasn’t ‘changed who he is’ as Oregon role grows