Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up before a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium.
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
The Oregon Ducks were given a pleasant surprise last offseason. There had been an expectation that Dante Moore would declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he decided to return to Oregon for the 2026 season. Moore got through just three plus games before being injured against USC. Now, it has been announced that Moore will be missing the rest of the Oregon season.
At the end of the 2025 college football season, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN as the top player in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“He's poised and accurate, sitting third in the FBS in completion percentage (72.5%). I really like his deep-ball touch, and he's good enough with his legs when he needs to scramble. And Moore hasn't really had a perfect situation — he has played multiple games in the rain and has missed key players at WR, TE and OL due to injuries. It's tough to stand out in those conditions, but he has looked great. The biggest question will be Moore's experience; he is a third-year sophomore with 17 career starts,” Kiper wrote.
When he decided to head back to school for 2026, Fernando Mendoza became the consensus top quarterback. Even if Mendoza was selected first overall, Moore likely would have been the second pick had he come out. Now, Moore may not be a top five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Where was Moore before the injury?
Heading into the season, Moore was seen as the top quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft, edging out Arch Manning for the top spot. Moore started the season strong, passing for 378 yards and three touchdowns against Boise State. Still, the team struggled in the game, and the knock on his draft status began. In the next game, he completed just 14 of 39 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Oklahoma State. He rebounded against Portland State, passing for 280 yards and four scores. Moore then completed eight of ten passes for 77 yards against USC before being knocked out with an injury.
Still, other quarterbacks began to pass Moore for the top spot. Drew Mewstemaker from Oklahoma State shot up the draft boards, sitting only behind Jeremiah Smith on big boards. Meanwhile, Darian Mensah from Miami, Trindad Chambliss from Ole Miss, CJ Carr from Notre Dame, and Austin Simmons from Missouri all had passed Moore as well. Kiper placed him 25th on the big board, and the seventh quarterback overall. Still, Kiper did have praise for the quarterback.
“When Moore is at the top of his game, he's an impressive passer. He changes arm angles, he's mechanically sound, he displays precise ball placement, and there's good touch on his deep ball. Throws look effortless because of his arm strength, and he can deliver strikes while rolling out. There's even some scramble ability there. The toolbox is full,” Kiper wrote ‘But he has to show he can take over some games against top-tier competition. His performance against Penn State in 2025 (at a time when the Nittany Lions were the No. 3 team in the country) was exceptional. I thought he was going to build on that and enter the 2026 draft as one of the top QBs on the board. But he couldn't bottle that performance and repeat it against other top teams over the rest of that season.”
There was hope that Moore could show off against big-time competition later in the season. Now, he will not have the chance to do that.
What will happen to Moore's draft stock now?
The draft stock for Moore is now complicated. First, he was already sliding down draft boards. With six quarterbacks projected to go in front of him, sliding out of the first round was a real possibility for Moore. As the team continued to underwhelm, the quarterback was going to take some blame for that. Now, Moore does not have a chance to prove that the early-season struggles were just a blip on the radar.
There is also now the injury concern. Moore returned to practice in recent weeks, but was never able to get back to 100 percent and return to the field. His medical reports and recovery will be a major part of the draft process. If they do not come back positive, Moore's stock will continue to plummet.
Part of the stock will be determined by who comes out in the draft. Mestemaker, Mensah, Carr, Simmons, and Manning will all have the choice to return to school, like Moore did last season. Meanwhile, Moore could also return to school. Moore will have a fifth year of eligibility in 2027. If he does come out without playing another snap for Oregon, while others also head to the NFL, Moore could be a day-two pick, or potentially later.