One Thing Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dante Moore Must Improve

The Oregon Ducks are returning their biggest star for the 2026 college football season in quarterback Dante Moore. Moore was exceptional in many areas of his game, including his long-ball ability and his pocket awareness, but there is one major aspect of his game that he will need to improve.

One Thing Dante Moore Must Improve

Oregon Ducks dan lanning eugene autzen stadium dante moore offense college football 2026 season college football playoffs — Combat Ducks quarterback Dante Moore throws a pass during warmups during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The main thing that Moore will need to improve this season is in the turnover department. Last season, the standout prospect for the Oregon Ducks finished with a total of 10 interceptions. He also fumbled a total of seven times, but he only lost three of those fumbles throughout the season.

Moore has never been the player to hold the ball in the pocket too long, as the Ducks quarterback plays with plenty of confidence when looking to pass in the pocket. He barely second-guesses himself on the field, and sometimes his decision-making leads to bad passes that shouldn't be made. This can be viewed as both a good and a bad trait along the way.

It is a good trait because he is willing to attempt to make a play in tough situations, regardless of what the outcome ends up being. He is willing to take the mistakes on the chin, but when a good play comes out of it, he is praised for his ability to thread the needle, which has never been a problem with the Ducks' gunslinger.

He also seems to learn from his mistakes in the air, which is why he threw a total of 10 interceptions and finished with multiple interceptions only twice throughout the season.

While some of the turnovers are to be blamed on the quarterbacks, others are a team effort, which is something that the team will need to improve upon this season.

He needs to improve the interception and the fumble rate due to the big games and moments in which the Ducks quarterback will be asked to make big plays. Some of the games the Ducks play in will have the chance of being a one-drive difference in the outcome, and especially in the playoffs, Oregon won't be able to afford mistakes at the quarterback position.

Why Dante Moore Should Make Limited Mistakes

Moore has a top wide receiver corps for this season, which means mistakes should be limited, especially considering this group is exceptional when it comes to creating space thanks to their elite speed and their elite route running. The Ducks quarterback shouldn't be in many positions where he will have to make contested throws, and when he is, he will need to consider using his mobility more than he has in the past seasons. This could have a chance to prevent interceptions.

And as long as he protects the ball when he is doing so, then the 2026 college football season will be special for both the gunslinger and the program as a whole.

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