Dante Moore Will Return to Oregon, Forgo 2026 NFL Draft Amid Dylan Raiola Transfer

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is delaying his entrance into the NFL draft in order to spend another season in the NCAA.

Moore will return to the Ducks for the 2026 season, he announced Wednesday on ESPN's SportsCenter.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning had a simple message on social media after the announcement:

Moore will head into the 2026 season with two years of college eligibility remaining.

The quarterback was eligible to enter the 2026 NFL draft, but could potentially be looking to boost his draft stock for 2027 with a strong second season as Oregon's starter.

Moore, who started his career out at UCLA in 2023, transferred to Oregon and redshirted his sophomore 2024 season behind Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

In his first season as the Ducks' full-time starter, Moore completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games.

He also recorded 73 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns to help the Ducks make it to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Moore will now look to ride the momentum of that playoff run while leading the Ducks on a deeper playoff run during his redshirt junior season.

The news comes shortly after Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola announced he would be coming to Oregon in 2026.

Raiola could now potentially follow a similar path that Moore did behind Gabriel by redshirting his first season with the Ducks.

Moore's return to the NCAA could cause some shuffling on NFL draft boards, especially given the quarterback needs of the teams with top-four picks. The latest Bleacher Report mock draft projected Moore to go to the New York Jets with the No. 2 selection.