Early analysis has Michigan in the running for UCLA quarterback Dante Moore in the college football transfer portal, and the Wolverines “need to find a way” to sign the former five-star, national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna said on Transfer Portal Palooza.
“I love fit with Dante Moore and Michigan,” Petagna said. “This is what great teams do. They need to find a way to make these things work even when the puzzle pieces don’t really fit. You have to find a way to get a guy like Dante Moore.”
Star quarterback JJ McCarthy hasn’t announced whether he plans to return to Ann Arbor next season or enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Petagna said Moore is best suited to sit behind McCarthy for a year as he gets acclimated to the Wolverines’ culture and system.
“I like Dante Moore going to Michigan and sitting a year behind JJ McCarthy,” Petagna said. “That makes sense. He played a little early for me at UCLA. He had some flashes this year. The talent is still there. I don’t mind him taking a backseat, getting that redshirt year, and really acclimating into the culture and playbook at Michigan.”
Moore’s father confirmed to The Michigan Insider that his son prioritizes development over starting right away, even praising the Wolverines’ staff for the work they’ve done with McCarthy.
The Wolverines do have intriguing options at quarterback in three-star sophomore Alex Orji and four-star 2024 commit Jadyn Davis. However, Jim Harbaugh and company can’t afford to settle with a guy like Moore up for grabs, Petagna said.
“They have to have their wits about them because they’re a little jammed up,” Petagna said. “You want JJ McCarthy back. But after JJ McCarthy, who is the guy? Is it Alex Orji? Is it Jadyn Davis coming in? Then you have a guy like Dante Moore. Sometimes, timelines don’t fit. Sometimes, the players do. You have to have a little flexibility and try to add guys like that to your roster. Dante Moore is a game changer.
Leave a Reply