Dante Moore’s Returning to Oregon. Here’s Why He Made the Right Choice.

When I saw that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore was going to announce his plans for next season live on ESPN, I thought he was going to declare for the 2026 NFL draft. Instead, he shocked the draft world Wednesday by electing to stay in school for another season—and I couldn’t be more excited about what the decision means for his future. 

I mentioned it last week after Ty Simpson declared and it’s worth noting again here: The college starting experience benchmark is real. Moore just logged his 20th career start in the Peach Bowl. Here’s a list of starting QBs with 20 or fewer starts who were drafted in the first round in the past 15 years:

Tannehill had a nice career, Murray’s had some moments, and Newton’s highs were high, but his production declined sharply as he aged. This group is mostly made up of guys who showcased NFL talent at the college level but could’ve benefited from more refinement before entering the league with expectations of being a franchise savior. 

On Moore’s scouting profile, I love his clean, effortless motion, the way he layers the ball, and his ability to make accurate NFL throws downfield on the move. There’s a lot of C.J. Stroud to his game and I’m told his off-field leadership is off the charts as well. But this guy is still raw, and we saw that against Indiana. The pick-six to start that game was the result of staring down his receiver and throwing to the wrong shoulder. There were other moments—including the strip sack late in the second quarter—where he wasn’t processing quickly enough and getting the ball out before the pressure got home. We saw similar issues when he faced pressure from the inside throughout the season, beginning way back in September against Northwestern. 

You’ll hear me say this over and over between now and the draft, but there’s so much value in the process of rinsing, refining, and repeating. The rinsing (in this context) is taking a vacation and some time away from the game, which Moore said he plans to do in the near future. The refinement comes in self-scouting. Moore needs to watch his tape with his coaches this offseason and identify where he can improve his game. Then there’s the repetition. Can he take what he’ll learn off the field during the offseason and put it on tape for Oregon with more consistency next year? 

My bet is that he can, and that we’ll be looking at a much more complete QB prospect in 2027 than the one who would’ve been selected in the top five of this draft. By the time he comes out next year, Moore will have passed the 30-start threshold, which will put him in the same bucket as guys such as Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, and Jordan Love, to name a few. It’s no secret that you’d rather your qualifications mirror this second group’s than the first one’s. 

There were other arguments in favor of entering the draft, including a loaded 2027 QB class (which is expected to include Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin, and Sam Leavitt, among others), the loss of his offensive coordinator Will Stein, the injury risk associated with returning to school, and the guaranteed rookie contract, but this is about the future and what’s best for his career long term. In fact, I’d argue this decision gives Moore a much better chance of getting to that second contract and making generational money than would being drafted in April and having to perform in the spotlight before he’s ready.

As far as the 2026 draft is concerned, we’re now looking at a very thin QB group after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. We’ll see how much Simpson rises throughout the predraft process, but for now he’s the clear QB2, followed by some combination of Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, and Trinidad Chambliss, if his appeal to return to Ole Miss is unsuccessful. 

I want to end by sharing something a scout told me about Moore in October, when Moore was really starting to pop:

“Until you’re around him, it’s hard to articulate just how mature this guy is. He’s smart and he has his stuff together more than the average guy. He sees the big picture.”

Everything I’ve seen from Moore tells me he’s got a bright NFL future. Kudos to him for blocking out the noise and having the foresight and maturity to do what’s best for his long-term development. 

And a major congratulations to Oregon, who will also return A'Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, Iapani Laloulu, and Bear Alexander next season. I expect them to be right back in the title mix.