Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore Predicted To Make Ducks History

The Oregon Ducks have one of the better teams entering the 2026 season, as they are returning some of their best players from last season's roster, while pairing them with key new additions. One of the players that the Ducks will be returning is their starting quarterback Dante Moore, who is set for a massive season before he leaves for the NFL Draft.

In a recent article by ESPN, each team in the top-25 had one player predicted to be in contention, or even win an award. For the Ducks, their star quarterback was predicted to be in the race for the biggest personal award in college football, the Heisman Trophy.

Moore could make history as Oregon's second winner of the award, after former Ducks star Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014.

More on Dante Moore Being Consider as a Heisman Contender

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore marcus mariota heisman trophy paolo uggetti dan lanning eugene autzen stadium 2026. — Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) passes against the Indiana Hoosiers during the third quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"Moore made a somewhat surprising decision after last season, forgoing the NFL draft -- where he would have likely been one of the top two or three quarterbacks selected -- to head back to Oregon for one more year. After a 3,565-yard, 30-touchdown campaign in 2025, Moore had the third-shortest odds for the award as of the first week of May," Paolo Uggetti said.

Uggetti went more into detail about his top targets returning, which could lead to some big things for Moore and company in Eugene.

"And with some of his top targets, such as Dakorien Moore and a healthy Evan Stewart, still in Eugene ahead of a season that seems like championship or bust for the Ducks, Moore should be right in the mix for the sport's top award," Uggetti said.

Why Dante Moore Should Be Considered for the Heisman Trophy

The Ducks star was left out of the Heisman ceremony last season, but some Oregon fans believe that he was worthy of at least being on the stage for the award. He finished the season with 3,565 passing yards, as well as finishing with 30 passing touchdowns. The one downfall in his game that was most notable is the number of interceptions he finished with, as he threw a total of 10 interceptions in his first season as a starter for the Oregon program.

One thing to remember is that Moore didn't have arguably his best target healthy for the full season, as Evan Stewart was out with a lower-body injury. This will change in the next season, which is just in time for the Ducks' possible national championship run. It is also worth mentioning that the Ducks' signal caller will be in a position to be smoother with his second offseason and entering his second season with the Ducks, although having a new offensive coordinator could be difficult.

If Moore were to win the Heisman, he would be the first player to do so since Marcus Mariota won the Heisman trophy back in 2014. This would solidify the Ducks' gunslinger as one of the better quarterbacks in program history, which is impressive due to the amount of talent that has come through the Ducks program, especially at the quarterback position.

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