Dylan Raiola commits to Oregon: Former 5-star QB recruit picks Ducks with Dante Moore still mulling future

Transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola committed to Oregon on Monday, announcing his decision to join the Ducks on Instagram. 

The former five-star recruit spent the past two seasons at Nebraska, taking strides as a passer in 2025 before a broken fibula ended his season after nine games. Now Raiola will stay in the Big Ten but head west to Oregon, where he represents quite the insurance policy for Dan Lanning and the Ducks as they await a decision from starter Dante Moore on his future. 

Moore is No. 2 overall in the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. And with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets both needing quarterbacks, there's a strong chance Moore could be a top-two pick in April if he declares. 

Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola in the same Oregon QB room? It's possible Ducks use Nebraska transfer as 2026 backup

Chris Hummer

However, the Ducks' lopsided loss to Indiana in their semifinal showdown in Atlanta made some wonder if Moore could benefit from one more year of development in Eugene. It's still very possible as sources told CBS Sports' Chris Hummer that it's currently more of a "50-50 toss-up" with the Jan. 14 NFL Draft declaration deadline looming. 

Moore, who could still make millions at Oregon in 2026, said Friday he is still mulling his options and hasn't made a decision either way about coming back or going pro, but Oregon couldn't wait before pouncing on a starting caliber QB in the portal. 

And if Moore does indeed return, the addition of Raiola would follow a familiar blueprint for the Ducks. Moore, after an up-and-down freshman season at UCLA, transferred to Oregon and took a redshirt year behind Dillon Gabriel before entering the starting lineup in 2025. Raiola could follow the same path. 

Raiola's commitment to Oregon isn't just fascinating because of the potential for Moore to come back. He's also a different kind of quarterback from the archetype the Ducks have looked for in recent years.

Since taking over at Oregon, Lanning's three starting quarterbacks have been Moore, Gabriel and Bo Nix. All three are mobile, hyper-efficient quarterbacks that have kept Oregon's offense moving by completing passes at a high percentage and trying to get playmakers the ball in space. 

Raiola took strides in terms of efficiency this season at Nebraska, completing 72.4% of his passes, but he is famously from the Patrick Mahomes school of extending plays and taking risks to try and create a big play. He's also not a quarterback you design runs for, which has been a staple of the Oregon offense in recent years. 

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

David Cobb

Perhaps changing the QB archetype in Eugene could be a good thing for Lanning and the Ducks. They'll have a new offensive coordinator in 2026 after Will Stein took the Kentucky job. And after another lopsided loss in the playoff, perhaps a fresh approach with a new OC (Drew Mehringer, formerly Oregon's co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, has been promoted) and different kind of quarterback is what the Ducks need. 

For his part, Raiola will have loads of pressure on him to raise his level of play on a more consistent basis, particularly against elite competition. This is clearly a move he's making to contend at a different level than he was able to at Nebraska. If he succeeds, he'll elevate his profile and vault up draft boards going into 2027 (or 2028, if Moore returns). If he struggles, it'll raise the temperature on both he and Lanning, who faces a stiff challenge in keeping Oregon as a title contender with so much change around him.