Oregon's Dante Moore Opens Up on Overcoming Depression in Emotional Letter

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore will enter the 2026 college football season this fall as one of the biggest names in the sport.

Despite being a surefire first-round NFL Draft pick, Moore decided to return to Oregon for another season, and the hype has been building as a result. However, despite his budding stardom, Moore recently made it clear that he has gone through some deep mental health struggles, an ordeal he now wants to use to help spread awareness for others experiencing the same.

Dante Moore Calls For Change in Letter to Oregon Governor

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore looks to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In a letter to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek that Moore shared exclusive with Ryan Clarke of The Oregonian, the Ducks quarterback admitted that he "struggled deeply" with depression early in his college career, something that has now made him an advocate for an increase in mental health resources in the state.

Moore, who began his career with the UCLA Bruins in 2023, has spent the past two seasons at Oregon. Though he doesn't specify, he hints that his time in Los Angeles came with some major challenges to his mental health, which was heightened by watching his mother get diagnosed with breast cancer when he was 18.

"Over the past few years, I have experienced moments that tested me in ways I never anticipated," Moore said. "Early in my college career, I found myself struggling deeply: I was depressed. The pressure and expectations that come with playing quarterback at a high level felt overwhelming at 18. Around that same time, my mother was diagnosed with cancer."

Fortunately, Moore's mother, Jera Bohlen-Moore, was declared cancer-free in July 2024.

Dante Moore Brings Attention to "Frightening Reality"

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Moore said that he eventually got the help he needed from friends and family to move past his struggles, he pointed to the fact that many others are not as fortunate, citing that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young adults in the state of Oregon.

Moore called it a "frightening reality" that Oregonians have to deal with and that change is desperately needed.

"Oregon ranks first in the nation in the prevalence of mental health challenges and last in access to care," Moore wrote. "More than half of adolescents with depression receive no treatment. These are not just statistics; they are frightening realities."

Moore's message to Gov. Kotek is simple: the state needs better access to mental health care so that they may heal in the same way he has.

"Every young person in Oregon deserves the same chance I had — the chance to be supported, strengthened, and able to move forward," Moore wrote. "They deserve the opportunity to become teachers, Olympians, doctors, actors and actresses, advocates, and political leaders. But we must ensure they get the care they need now in order to have that bright future."

"I urge you to protect and expand access to virtual mental health services in Oregon so that more lives can be supported, strengthened, and saved."

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