The Michigan Wolverines are hard at work prepping for their College Football Playoff matchup against Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, but they’re also working in the transfer portal to help improve their roster for next season.
Former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore, who was aggressively sought by the Wolverines as a five-star high schooler out of Detroit, is one of the players stated to potentially transfer to Michigan. Oregon, Florida State, and other powerhouses are also interested, but the Wolverines offer him the chance to play for his hometown team.
Moore is certainly at the top of many people’s lists due to his upside, eligibility, and flashes this fall at UCLA. Going to Michigan makes sense for Moore, a Detroit native who would be able to compete for a title every year of his eligibility. He’s not nearly the same runner, but as a passer, he shares many of the same characteristics as Jayden Daniels.
At the end of the analysis, he was praised for having the same arm skill as the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner. That alone should have Michigan fans salivating at the prospect of Moore transferring to Ann Arbour.
But, to Luginbill’s point, that’s exactly what scouts and evaluators saw in Moore as a prep player out of MLK High School in Detroit. He was ranked No. 5 overall and No. 3 quarterback in the class by 247Sports’ Allen Trieu, who said Moore is “mature, polished, does not appear to rattle easily,” and he “works extremely hard, and that total package projects him to be a multi-year college starter and someone who can be an early draft choice.”
If J.J. McCarthy foregoes his remaining collegiate eligibility and declares for the NFL Draft, the Wolverines may have an open quarterback competition in the offseason. If it happens, Michigan’s current quarterbacks would be Alex Orji, Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren, and incoming true freshman Jadyn Davis. There’s skill there, but none of those people have shown themselves.
Even if McCarthy stays, there are suggestions that Moore is willing to sit behind a seasoned quarterback for a year to learn and improve. McCarthy would likely be able to accommodate that and would not abandon Moore, as another quarterback did to him a few years ago.
