Dante Moore to the NFL? Oregon QB unsure of 2026 plans with draft deadline looming, Ducks seeking answer

Coming out of a three-turnover outing in Friday night's College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Indiana, Oregon redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore told reporters he is undecided on his 2026 NFL Draft plan with two more years of eligibility remaining. Moore, No. 2 in the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings, was terrific for the Ducks this season with 3,565 yards passing, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a completion rate at 71.8%. 

Moore, if he hasn't already, will hear from the College Advisory Committee on his draft evaluation and where he's expected to land before making an informed decision. The deadline for underclassmen to officially submit paperwork to the NFL is Jan. 14, so a decision from Moore isn't far away.

"I knew that question was coming. Yeah. I want to soak this moment up," Moore said Friday. "That's most important. Just giving hugs and just thank yous to my teammates, but at the end of the day, I don't know my decision yet."

What's next for Oregon? Major changes ahead as Dan Lanning replaces two coordinators and maybe QB Dante Moore

David Cobb

Indiana quarterback Francisco Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, is widely considered the frontrunner to go No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders. The New York Jets have the second selection of the first round. Underclassmen like Mendoza who participate in the CFP National Championship have until Jan. 23 to decide. 

While Mendoza is widely expected to go pro (Indiana already has TCU transfer Josh Hoover lined up for next season), Moore's future plans are unclear. If Moore does return to Oregon, he would likely be doing so on a sizable new contract, but that total would pale in comparison to what he would bring in as a first-rounder.

"I'm going to talk to coach [Dan] Lanning and talk to my family and everybody, but at the end of the day, I don't want to think about that right now," Moore said. "I just want to think about my teammates and give love to them."

Coming off another College Football Playoff exit, Lanning and the Ducks have an arduous offseason that awaits given the exit of both longtime coordinators Will Stein (Kentucky) and Tosh Lupoi (California) to head-coaching jobs. Stein and Lupoi were figureheads of a staff that won 38 of 43 games the last three years, but Lanning has already promoted from within for those roles -- Drew Mehringer as OC and Chris Hampton as DC. 

Oregon's quarterback plan for 2026

Oregon's starting quarterback has been a transfer in each of Lanning's four seasons as head coach, first with Bo Nix (2022-23), then Dillon Gabriel (2024) and now Moore. Gabriel and Moore were both signed during the 2024 portal cycle with a plan in mind that worked out beautifully for the program.

Oregon needs to hear a decision from Moore sooner rather than later. Former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has been linked to the Ducks along with Arizona State's Sam Leavitt and USC's Husan Longstreet. Leavitt and Raiola are currently two of the highest-rated players available and still taking visits.

Miami is another program that is wading in the same waters as the Ducks given Carson Beck's departure to the NFL after next week's national championship game. Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad entered the portal last month after sliding to No. 3 on the depth chart this season behind Moore and Brock Thomas. The Ducks also signed four-star Bryson Beaver in their 2026 recruiting haul and Akili Smith Jr., who redshirted this season, last cycle.