Dante Moore Announces Return to Oregon, Spurning 2026 NFL Draft

Moore will return for his junior season.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was projected as a top five pick in the 2026 NFL draft. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dante Moore will be back in Eugene.

The redshirt sophomore quarterback has announced he will pass on entering the 2026 NFL draft to run it back with Oregon in 2026, giving head coach Dan Lanning a huge boost for next season. Moore and the Ducks were blown out by Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal last weekend.

During an appearance on SportsCenter Wednesday afternoon, Moore said, “Of course, I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year.” He added that his goal was to win a national championship.

Moore was widely projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 draft class, along with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. They were expected to be the top two picks in the draft if both declared. Mendoza has yet to announce his intentions.

The 2025 season was Moore’s first starting for Oregon after he transferred to UCLA following the 2023 season. He sat behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024 before taking over the job this season. He was excellent in that role.

Moore completed 71.8% of his passes in 2025 for 3,565 yards, with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 156 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while posting a passer rating of 163.7. His QBR of 78.6 ranked 14th nationally.

At 6’3” and 206 pounds with a big arm and enough mobility to make plays, Moore is an ideal NFL prospect. He struggled at times with reading defenses this season, but generally showed improvement as the campaign went along.

With Moore coming back, Dylan Raiola will have to sit behind him in 2026. The former Nebraska quarterback announced his transfer to Oregon on Monday, but was reportedly fine with backing Moore up for a season. Raiola still retains his redshirt season after starting for the Cornhuskers as a freshman and sophomore.

Moore’s decision makes sense for his long-term development. He won’t turn 21 until May and has only played in 29 career games, with five coming as a backup to Gabriel in 2024.

He committed to UCLA as a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class out of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, but only lasted one season in Westwood. He played on and off throughout his freshman season and completed 53.5% of his passes for 1,610 yards, with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He entered the transfer portal following the 2023 campaign and committed to Oregon, knowing he would back up Gabriel before becoming the starter in 2025. It’s similar to Raiola’s projected role in 2026.

The Ducks went 13-2 this season with both losses coming against No. 1 Indiana. They are projected to be one of the best teams in the nation again in 2026, and Moore's return will only boost that profile.

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