The Oregon Ducks program under Dan Lanning has been a hotbed for quarterbacks — and that’s not to discount the great Duck quarterbacks of the past. In his four seasons as the head coach, the Ducks have seen unprecedented continued success at the quarterback position.
First, it was Auburn Tigers transfer Bo Nix, who went from an inefficient, erratic passer of the football to, at the time, setting the single-season completion percentage record at 77.4%. In his final season in 2023, Nix appeared in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
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Sixth-year senior Dillon Gabriel was next, and he too went to New York for the Heisman ceremony after completing 72.9% of his passes with 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. While Gabriel was a third-round pick (2025) and Nix a first-rounder (2024), both started meaningful games early in their rookie campaigns with the latter leading the Denver Broncos to the playoffs.
This year has been Dante Moore’s time to shine, as he’s established himself as arguably the best quarterback prospect in college football despite his redshirt sophomore status.
With all of the success that the Ducks have had with Nix, Gabriel and Moore, it’s clear that they don’t mess around at the game’s most important position.
On Wednesday, Lanning and his staff saw four-star passer Bryson Beaver sign with the program, potentially the next to step in among a string of successful quarterbacks for the Ducks.
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During Wednesday’s press conference, Lanning broke down what the recruiting process was like in receiving the commitment from the 6-foot-3, 200-pound passer.
«Quarterback is always a unique position,» he said. «Getting to see him throw in person, I think, is always a big piece of that, trusting your evaluation skills. And this is a guy that obviously got really hot towards the end, and had a lot of opportunities in places that he can go.»
Beaver was initially a Boise State Broncos commit, but after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals and an offer from Oregon on June 11, the Murrieta, CA, native saw his recruitment skyrocket. In came offers from the likes of Alabama, Ole Miss, Colorado, LSU and Auburn, with Beaver taking multiple visits with SEC schools.
But in the end, he and the Ducks were a match for more reasons than one, according to Lanning.
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«You fall in love with the family,» he said. «Bryson’s got an unbelievable group around him. And then you really get to recognize the arm talent, the things that exist there. … And then the ability to mentally handle the load that we ask for our quarterbacks to handle. There’s a lot that goes into that, and he’s a guy to check those boxes.»
With Moore presumably remaining the starter for one more season, Beaver will likely fight for reps with backup Brock Thomas, four-star Austin Novosad (if he doesn’t transfer) and three-star Luke Moga when he arrives.
But it’s clear from Lanning’s words that the belief is there that Beaver can contribute and excel when it’s his time to continue the Ducks quarterback legacy.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: QB Bryson Beaver’s family and arm talent made him top target for Ducks
