In the brutal and stylized world of mob movies and streaming television, a character often faces a simple but consequential choice: whether to be The Rat or a stand-up guy.
The Rat looks for a way to make things easier on himself. The stand-up guy lives by a code. He's straight-forward, dependable.
Rats and stand-up guys exist everywhere, even in real life. They're not confined to artificial worlds of mayhem and murder. Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons was a stand-up guy, defying a king who would bend the law and morality to his own purpose. Nathan Hale was a stand-up guy. The Disciple Peter was a stand-up guy, though he wavered at the point of a Roman spear.
As a 2024 Oregon football recruit at quarterback, Luke Moga is a stand-up guy.
Moga stuck with his neighborhood high school team even when he got multiple offers to transfer to higher-profile schools with a better supporting cast and nicer facilities. His team, the Sunnyside Vikings of Scottsdale, Arizona, haven't won a playoff game in ten years, but in his first season as the starting quarterback he led them to a 5-4 record that included a 23-20 late-season win over Arizona powerhouse Desert Mountain, their crosstown rival. Luke threw for 159 yards and a score, chipping 57 more yards on four carries.
Now he's staying at Sunnyside despite his fast-rising profile. The 6-2, 190 senior didn't start playing football until his freshman year and lined up at wide receiver as a sophomore. He took over at QB as a junior, passing for 2,258 yards and 26 touchdowns, running for 539 yards and five TDs.
Moga committed to the Ducks in April and remained committed even when they recruited a higher-profile quarterback, four-star Michael Van Buren of Baltimore, Maryland. More stand-up behavior. On Social Media he said, “Oregon is home and I’m going to work every day until I bring a National Championship to Eugene. I'm excited to join the Duck brotherhood!”
Back in Scottsdale, even though he's locked up a Division One scholarship, he goes to camps and clinics with his teammates, helping to get them exposure. They're gunning for that playoff spot this fall.
The Viking stalwart ran a 10.497 100 meters this spring at the Arizona state 5A championship. He won a dead heat for first place with track and football rival Blaise Nelson. That electronic time makes him faster than, gulp, Marcus Mariota.
Like Mariota, Moga had to wait his turn to become the starter in high school, but Luke isn't as polished as MM in his high school film. In his first year he completed 134-283 passes, only 47.3%. He'll have to work for more accuracy. In the pocket he tends to shot put the ball a bit, throwing off his back foot rather than driving it with his legs.
Offensive coordinator Will Stein will help him with all that. He has the work ethic and intelligence to continually improve. Already he's shown flashes, an ability to throw on the run and improvise, a willingness to stay in the pocket and look downfield rather than relying too much on his speed.
This weekend he's in Eugene on his official visit. He told Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic, "Every time I've been up there, it's like family. I'm going to get there early. I'm going to graduate in December. I'll get up there and compete. From the times I've been there, it felt like a family environment and someplace I can definitely transition quickly."
Embracing that family atmosphere, Moga has worked diligently as a peer recruiter over the last two months. He's all-in, something that makes a strong impression on all the blue-chip visitors the Ducks have this weekend.
Luke will start his Oregon career as a back-up, but with his natural competitiveness and athletic ability, you can't count him out. In that way he'll remind Oregon fans of another talented dual threat quarterback, Nate Costa.
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