What Washington’s latest QB loss means for 5-star Dante Moore and the Ducks
As Tuesday was drawing to a close, it became clear that the Washington Huskies were in serious financial trouble.
Predictions started flooding in Lincoln Keinholz, 4-star QB and Huskies commit to flip to Ohio State Buckeyes in 2023. 247Sports rates Keinholz as the No. 13 QB in class and No. 172 overall player in this country
This is a huge loss for the Huskies as they no longer have a quarterback commit who is available to replace Michael Penix Jr. after 2023. However, it has some implications for national and Pac-12 recruiting. In particular, it might tell us a lot about Oregon Ducks’ 5-star QB commit Dante Moore.
Let’s get into some of the ripple effects of the Ohio State QB flip and see what we can learn from it.
Moore no longer follows Ohio State
Over the last couple of weeks, it’s appeared that the competition to ultimately land Dante Moore and get him to sign was heating up. While the Ducks hold his commitment, that means little until pen gets to paper, and other schools — notably the UCLA Bruins — were dialing up the efforts.
According to reports, the Ohio State Buckeyes was also on the list of possible suitors. While Duck fans were able to brush off a visit to UCLA for Moore as a potential chance to get out of Detroit in the dead of winter and spend a weekend in Los Angeles, it would have been a different story if Oregon’s QB commit went on a visit to Ohio State.
That’s not something that appears to be happening now, with the Buckeyes set with a QB in the 2023 class.
Is NIL a factor in the equation?
It’s been thought by many non-Oregon fans that the Ducks are simply buying Moore’s commitment with NIL money. While that’s not the case, NIL is certainly a factor in all of this, and it could be that Ohio State was not able to make a late run at Moore because of it.
Below is an earlier note by Dave Biddle, 247Sports reporter about Ohio State and a unnamed 5-star recruit they were unable land.
Moore was the 5-star recruit who passed on tOSU due to a low NIL offer? We can’t say for sure, but the dots certainly connect with the latest movement in QB recruiting.
Washington’s whereabouts?
The Huskies have been confirmed as the quarterback position for the 2023 season by Michael Penix Jr., who announced his return to Washington, where he is expected to be a Heisman Trophy nominee. The Huskies have some questions after that.
They didn’t bring a QB in with the 2022 recruiting class, and while they have a 2024 3-star QB commit with E.J. Caminong is not likely to be taken in by the authorities. Washington may be working hard over the next few months to recruit another quarterback in the 2023 class to ensure Penix’s succession plan once he leaves Seattle.
What is the plan in Keinholz?
This is a fascinating question. Keinholz is considering Ohio State rather than Washington. What is his ultimate goal? In Seattle, Keinholz had a fairly solid outlook for the future. He waited for Penix to complete his season and could then take over as the starting quarterback in 2024. With the Buckeyes Keinholz will compete with Kyle McCord (5-star), as the No. 6 QB, in the 2021 Class, and Devin Brown, a 4-star, the No. 6 QB for the class of 2022
Ohio State already has a commitment by 5-star QB Dylan Raiola. The 2024 recruiting class ranked him the No. 1 overall player. It’s a crowded QB room in Columbus, but Keinholz picked that path over the one in Washington.
Is this enough to lock Moore in Oregon?
Do you think that Ohio State is now a lock for the Ducks because of its 5-star quarterback?
While it certainly clears things up, the answer still isn’t a certain yes.
Oregon still has UCLA to worry about down the stretch run of the early recruiting cycle, and while Chip Kelly and the Bruins may not pose a huge threat, I don’t think that Duck fans should go through the next 8 days with complete comfortability when it comes to Moore.
What are the Ducks’ future plans for QB?
This question is still open to debate. Many signs point to QB Bo Nix returning home for another season in Eugene, but it’s not yet announced.
A lot potentially rides on Nix’s decision. Moore may be forced to leave the Ducks if he returns. What does this mean to Ty Thompson, who has yet to go through the transfer portal like many predicted.
All of that is still unknown, and until Nix announces his final decision, we won’t see how the dominos fall.