Dante Moore’s Heisman Odds Change After Concussion

Oregon football starting quarterback Dante Moore entered Saturday’s road matchup with the USC Trojans with a chance to make a statement. Following a narrow victory over Boise State in Week 1 and an upset vs. Oklahoma State in Week 2, Saturday’s matchup with a top-15 USC team was a huge opportunity for Moore to lead his team to a statement victory.

While the Ducks got the win, the game unfolded in a much different and more emotional way for Moore, who experienced the victory from L.A. County General Hospital rather than with his teammates inside the Coliseum.

Dante Moore Heisman odds injury update Oregon USC Heisman Trophy race concussion return timeline 2026 season — Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) is loaded into an ambulance with an apparent injury after being tackled by USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (not pictured) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Stephens II was charged with targeting on the play. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With 10:05 remaining in the second quarter, Moore scrambled for a 10-yard gain to the USC 13-yard line before sliding to the ground. As he went down, USC defensive back Desmond Stephens II made contact with Moore’s head with his shoulder.

Stephens II was called for targeting, and Moore was eventually placed on a stretcher and lifted onto a cart before being taken toward an ambulance brought into the tunnel.

Luckily for the Ducks, they had a seasoned quarterback with experience as a Big Ten starter waiting in the wings: junior quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola came off the bench to complete 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns with zero turnovers, sparking Oregon to a 41–27 victory over USC.

For Moore, however, the injury comes with another setback in his Heisman Trophy race.

How the Heisman Odds Changed After Week 4

Here is how the top Heisman contenders’ odds changed following Week 4, according to DraftKings, with updated odds courtesy of Action Network, which pulls odds across multiple platforms.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: +850 → +260
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami: +340 → +400
Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State: +1,800 → +700
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss: +300 → +1,100
Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida: N/A → +1,200
CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame: +1,200 → +1,200
Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama: +4,000 → +1,300
Malachi Toney, WR, Miami: +1,100 → +1,800
Arch Manning, QB, Texas: +1,200 → +2,728
Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia: +3,500 → +3,000
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State: +2,500 → +3,000
Jayden Maiava, QB, USC: +3,000 → +3,500
Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana: +2,500 → +5,000
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon: +4,500 → +5,000
Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU: +5,000 → +5,000
Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State: +6,500 → +5,000

Dante Moore’s Heisman Case Faces New Challenge After USC

Moore entered the 2026 season as one of the favorites to win the most prestigious award in college football, but his Heisman odds dropped following Oregon’s first two weeks of the season. Saturday presented Moore with a chance to reestablish himself as one of the top contenders, but his injury changed that trajectory.

Following Oregon’s win over USC, Moore’s Heisman odds dropped again, although not dramatically from where they stood entering the weekend.

According to Oregon Athletics, Moore’s MRI and CT scan came back normal following the injury. He will now have time to recover with Oregon entering its bye week, but it remains unclear exactly when Moore will return to the field as he goes through concussion protocol.

The biggest factor will be how much time he ultimately misses. Oregon has a bye this week, but Moore will still have to go through concussion protocol before he can return to the field. Exactly when that happens remains unclear.

But there is another side to Moore’s Heisman case that cannot be measured by a box score. If Moore is able to return from the injury and lead Oregon through the rest of its schedule, his season would come with a storyline that few other contenders could replicate. He went from entering the season as a Heisman favorite, to watching his odds fall as Oregon worked through its early schedule, to leaving one of the Ducks’ biggest games of the season on a stretcher after a frightening hit.

A strong return could completely change the way that story is viewed. Heisman voters are ultimately evaluating an individual season, but the context surrounding that season can become part of a player's candidacy. If Moore comes back and immediately plays at a high level, the USC injury could become an important part of the story surrounding his season.

Another piece of good news for Moore is that the teams Oregon played early in the season could end up helping his résumé as the year progresses.

Oregon’s 34–27 win over Boise State initially did not do much to help Moore’s Heisman case. But if Boise State continues to establish itself as one of the better Group of 5 teams in the country, that narrow Week 1 win could look much better when voters evaluate Moore’s full season later in the year.

The same could be true of Oregon’s Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State. That does not erase the loss or change what happened in those games, but the way those teams finish the season could affect how voters view Oregon’s early schedule.

Moore also has another factor working in his favor: there are still several high-profile games left on Oregon’s schedule that could give him opportunities to make up ground. The Ducks face Ohio State on the road Nov. 7 before playing Michigan, Michigan State and Washington to close out the regular season.

When Moore does return, he will have an opportunity to show exactly what separates him from the rest of Oregon’s quarterback room. If he returns and immediately picks up where he left off, the USC game can become part of a larger comeback storyline rather than the moment his Heisman campaign ended.

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