Dante Moore Was The Talk Of College Football For The Wrong Reasons On Friday

The second of the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinal games was held in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday night between No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon.

Eight seconds into the penultimate game of the 2025 season, Ducks quarterback Dante Moore threw an interception to Hoosiers defensive back D'Angelo Ponds, who proceeded to run it back 20 yards for a touchdown. The Ducks scored a touchdown on the following possession, but that would not be the last of Moore's first-half woes.

Three possessions after Indiana reclaimed a lead, Moore lost a fumble to Hoosiers defensive lineman Mario Landino. Three plays and three yards later, the Hoosiers led by 14 points thanks to a touchdown run.

Moore committed his third turnover of the first half just three possessions later. Two plays into the possession, Moore was stripped by Landino and set up Indiana at the Oregon 21-yard line. The Hoosiers scored a touchdown on that possession to take a 35-7 lead into the half.

The abysmal first-half showing from Moore sparked reactions from national media pundits across both the college and NFL media landscapes about the future of his college football career.

Dante Moore is in absolute hell right now while Indiana looks like a juggernaut. It's getting late early here in Atlanta for the Ducks.
— John Talty (@JTalty) January 10, 2026

Dante Moore is gonna fit in perfectly on the Jetspic.twitter.com/YIxFS4Xt2H
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 10, 2026

Dante Moore might wanna stay in school man

Needs to learn to read the field and get his turnovers under control pic.twitter.com/oBIw2kBFl8
— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) January 10, 2026

Dante Moore needs another year. He’s not ready.
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) January 10, 2026

Dante Moore now has 5 turnovers in 6 quarters vs Indiana this season

Just like Dillon Gabriel, he was propped up by a great Oregon offensive system and struggled against good defenses

I wouldn’t even draft him at 6, let alone trade up for himpic.twitter.com/xDQAEyuhsx
— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) January 10, 2026

The case for Dante Moore to stay in school for another year just improved dramatically. #picksix
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) January 10, 2026

Nightmare for Dante Moore so far. Three turnovers. He’s perfect for the Jets.
— Tom Krasniqi (@TKras) January 10, 2026

The matchup between Indiana and Oregon was widely considered a battle between two of the best quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL draft class.

The first two teams selecting in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft are the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets.

The majority of projections have featured 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and Indiana starter Fernando Mendoza going at No. 1 overall to the Raiders, while Moore falls to the Jets at No. 2.

There remains a possibility Moore returns to Oregon in 2026 despite his draft eligibility. He is wrapping up his redshirt sophomore season with the Ducks, meaning he has as many as two more seasons of college eligibility if he wants them.

If Moore decided to stay in college football for another season, it would cause a major shakeup to the 2026 NFL draft projections at the quarterback position. 2025 Alabama starter Ty Simpson is likely the next option for NFL teams in search of a quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft.

The shifting of rankings, should Moore decide to remain at Oregon, would do more than just bump Simpson up.

Franchises such as the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers are not guaranteeing their 2025 starters will return to the organization next season. Moore's decision could catapult projected later-round quarterbacks like Drew Allar and Carson Beck into first-round spots.

Dante Moore looks to pass in the Peach Bowl. — Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl | Brett Davis-Imagn Images