Who said Chip Kelly couldn’t recruit? 2023 five-star quarterback Dante Moore sent ripples through the college football world as he announced his flip from Oregon to UCLA.

Moore had been committed to Oregon since July 8 but recently took a visit to Westwood. There were several dominoes that fell leading up to his visit, though, as Oregon offensive coordinator and Moore’s lead recruiter Kenny Dillingham opted to take the Arizona State head coach job. Moore indicated to ESPN that this was the most significant factor in his decision to flip. On Sunday, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix announced his return for one final season, meaning Moore would have sat out for at least a year if he had stayed put in Eugene. Moore also mentioned to ESPN that UCLA’s confirmed move to the Big Ten played a role in his decision.

So what does this move mean for UCLA, for Oregon, and for Moore? Let’s start with the talented quarterback from Detroit.

The opportunity at UCLA is one that is hard to beat for a quarterback of his caliber, especially with the departure of longtime starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Bruins did add Kent State transfer Collin Schlee this weekend and also have 2022 QB2 Ethan Garbers and 2022 four-star Justyn Martin on the roster as well. Despite the experience of Schlee and Garbers, it would be difficult to imagine Moore not winning the starting job or starting at some point early in the 2023 season.

Chip Kelly’s ability to develop quarterbacks in an exciting offensive system is quite the convincing pitch for a kid who grew up watching Marcus Mariota thrive in Kelly’s run-pass option roughly a decade ago. The back-to-back state champion from Martin Luther King High School in Detroit has proven he is an athletic quarterback with an strong but accurate arm, a template that fits Kelly’s ideal canvas for quarterbacks.

The move to the Big Ten in Moore’s sophomore season gives him the opportunity to play on the West Coast, which was clearly a priority given he has committed to two West Coast programs, while still having the opportunity to travel back home to the Midwest. He can compete against some of the elite programs in the country, including Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and Penn State in a big market, both in terms of location and conference.

For UCLA and Kelly, having a star and potential program-elevating quarterback in tow entering the Big Ten is a big win, simply put. The market and conference will help with recruiting on its own, but there is something to be said for the intrigue of a skill-position recruit looking at a program like UCLA with an offensive mind like Kelly and a young quarterback manning the offense. Kelly’s job seemed to be secure with the on-field results in the last couple of years, but this heist of a highly-touted quarterback at this significant time in the program’s history should leave no doubt that he will be the head coach at UCLA for the foreseeable future.

But what does the loss of Moore mean for Dan Lanning and Oregon? Immediately, not very much, at least on the field. Nix’s return secures the QB1 spot for 2023, and 2021 four-star signee Ty Thompson is entering his third year on campus as well. The Ducks don’t have a quarterback pledge in the 2023 class, and the quarterback is typically the driving force of every recruiting class at a big-time program. Skill position guys will commit because they want to play for and grow alongside an elite quarterback.

Oregon has plenty of four-star talent for 2023, including WR Jurrion Dickey, RB Dante Dowdell, ATH Kenyon Sadiq, and WR Ashton Cozart. To prevent those major pieces from flipping, it’s vital for the Ducks to find another option at quarterback in the 2023 or 2024 class, or at least a young prospect through the transfer portal. Some security and depth at the position after Nix’s eventual departure would be a relieving sign as well, and with Thompson still unproven entering year three and Jay Butterfield in the transfer portal, the Ducks need to make a splashy move at quarterback.

Flip season is in full swing, and UCLA has claimed a huge prize at a crucial turning point for the program.