Projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft before returning to Oregon for his senior season, quarterback Dante Moore is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a concussion.
Ducks coach Dan Lanning made the announcement Monday regarding the preseason Heisman Trophy contender, who has missed the past three games because of a concussion suffered Sept. 26 against Southern California. Moore has not been medically cleared to return.
“If it was up to Dante in any shape, way, he would be out there playing for the guys,” said Lanning, whose team was ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll. “This isn’t a selfish decision on Dante’s part, saying, ‘I don’t want to come back, the season doesn’t look the way I want it to look.’ That’s not at all what this is.”
Moore was injured in the second quarter of the game against USC on a late hit by linebacker Desman Stephens II. He was eventually transported by ambulance to Los Angeles General Medical Center. Oregon said Moore’s MRI and CT scans came back clean, but he did sustain a concussion.
Entering the Sept. 26 game, Moore was off to an impressive start, throwing for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 69.7% of his passes.
Moore has thrown the ball in recent weeks while working his way back at practice, but Lanning and the Ducks had decided not to rush him back into action.
Oregon is 1-2 without Moore and has scored fewer than 20 points in each game. Third-string quarterback Brock Thomas and backup Dylan Raiola have shared starting duties but have been unable to replicate Moore’s success.
The Ducks’ offensive struggles led to the firing of coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday, a day after a 21-10 loss to Illinois.
On Monday night, Lanning announced that offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson would take over playcalling duties. Johnson, in his first season at Oregon, has been a college coach since 1994 and previously served as offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Michigan State.
After beginning his college career at UCLA in 2023, Moore transferred to Oregon and spent the entire 2024 season backing up starter Dillon Gabriel. In 2025, Moore threw for 30 touchdowns and 3,565 yards while completing 71% of his passes as Oregon finished 13-2.