Dante Moore to the NFL? What season-ending injury news means for Oregon QB's future image
By Oregon's standards, the 2026 season will go down as a nightmare.
The Ducks' offense cratered after the departure of offensive coordinator Will Stein, and a concussion that took Dante Moore off the field didn't help matters. Now, Oregon has some clarity on Moore's status.
Head coach Dan Lanning announced Monday night that he doesn't expect Moore to return this season, telling reporters that the redshirt junior isn't medically cleared after suffering a concussion on a brutal hit against USC exactly one month earlier.
Moore surprised many by passing on the NFL Draft in January, and he now has another decision to make thanks to the NCAA's revised eligibility rules.
Here's what's next for Moore.
MORE: Tracking every FBS coaching change in 2026
Is Dante Moore going to the NFL?
In the recent past, there might be no decision for Moore to make. He already returned for a fourth season, so a fifth season would require an injury waiver after he missed most of this season.
With the NCAA's five-for-five rules giving players a fifth year of eligibility, though, Moore has the option to return for another season of college football. Could he?
Lanning didn't offer an indication that Moore's time at Oregon was over, which might hint that the quarterback at least hasn't made up his mind about his future. On one hand, this isn't an ideal time to declare for the draft, coming off a rocky start to the season and an injury that forced him to miss most of the year. Moore was content passing on the possibility of being the No. 2 pick after last season, so he could be just as content passing on a much less certain outlook in the 2027 draft.
With that being said, continually delaying the jump to the NFL is a risk, particularly with no knowledge of how Oregon's offense will look next season with a new offensive coordinator. Lanning missed the mark on Stein's replacement, and the entire offense suffered. If Moore returns to Oregon and 2027 plays out more like 2026 than 2025 for the Ducks' offense, he could risk hurting his stock even more with his best season so far in the past by the time the 2028 draft rolls around.
The transfer portal is also an option for Moore, though starting fresh elsewhere would arguably be just as much of a risk and Oregon figures to have the resources to retain him.
The NFL still has to be considered a top option for Moore, but the door for a return will remain open until he closes it.
MORE: College football picks, predictions against the spread for Week 9
Dante Moore eligibility for 2027
Moore is eligible for one more season of college football. The NCAA has adopted the "5-for-5" rule, which eliminates redshirt years in favor of all players having five seasons to play in a strict five-year window, with exceptions depending on age.
That means Moore doesn't need a waiver to return for 2027, which would be his fifth season at the collegiate level.
NFL Draft eligibility isn't changing as part of the new rules, so college football players will still be able to declare for the draft after three seasons. Moore had that option but chose to return to Oregon for 2026.
More college football news: