QB transfer from UCLA is in contact with Michigan

UCLA’s Dante Moore, a quarterback, is transferring, and Michigan might be a strong candidate.

Since Monday night, Moore and Michigan have been in communication, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.

Moore is ranked No. 3 overall in the transfer portal by 247Sports. Moore was a five-star prospect in the 2023 class who the 247Sports Composite ranked as the No. 3 quarterback and No. 5 overall prospect. The Detroit native Moore was considering Michigan, but he ultimately decided to commit to Oregon before deciding to decommit and join UCLA.

As a true freshman, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback made nine appearances, including five starts. This season, Moore has completed 1,610 yards and 53.5 percent of his passes for touchdowns and interceptions.

At this time, Oregon, Florida State, Miami, and Michigan are all regarded as potential candidates for Moore. Bo Nix will need to be replaced by Oregon, and Jordan Travis will need to be replaced by Florida State. Regarding Michigan, it is possible that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will return for his final season, making Moore McCarthy’s backup in 2024. Which is apparently something Moore wouldn’t mind.

Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider explained why Moore is taking Michigan into account in the portal. Moore “loves” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, according to Moore’s father, and “just wants to go somewhere he can get developed” with a “trench front line.”

“You can see J.J.’s progress? That is a natural part of growth, Moore’s father said.

In addition to McCarthy, Michigan’s roster includes quarterbacks Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji, as well as four-star prospect Jadyn Davis, who will be a true freshman. Moore would intensify peer competition and strengthen the quarterback room.

The best teams have several quarterbacks capable of starting at the same time on their roster, and Michigan, the best team in the country and current number one, should adopt this strategy moving forward in the dynamic world of college football. Opportunities like this, where a top prospect a program was very interested in but missed out on, become available a year after their freshman campaign, are made possible by the transfer portal. Whether J.J. McCarthy decides to return to the NFL or not, Michigan would be wise to make this improvement to their quarterback room, whether it be Moore or another highly regarded portal quarterback.