Dante Moore made a big career decision. Instead of heading to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Oregon Ducks quarterback is staying in Eugene for another season.
“Of course, I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year,” Moore told ESPN during a live broadcast.
In his third college season, Moore completed 71.8% of his passes for 5,224 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while adding two more scores on the ground.
However, his first season at Oregon was also his first full year as a starter. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes that played a major role in Moore’s decision and praised the young quarterback for it.
“I like the decision,” Breer wrote. “He doesn’t turn 21 until May. The threshold a lot of NFL teams use for quarterback prospects is 25 starts — Moore has just 20 under his belt. Staying should make Dante Moore a better pro.”
Moore had been viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 draft class, with first-round projections and early ties to teams such as the New York Jets, who currently hold the No. 2 overall pick.
For what it’s worth, Spotrac estimated the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft is projected to sign a four-year, $52.5 million fully guaranteed contract, including a $34 million signing bonus.
His decision may have caused other quarterbacks to receive bigger paydays now, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Dante Moore’s Decision Is Good News For Other Quarterbacks
Before the 2025 college football season began, the 2026 quarterback class was loaded with potential first-round talent. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Texas’ Arch Manning and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers were all filling up mock drafts.
Klubnik and the Tigers ended up having a season to forget, severely hurting his draft stock. Manning and Sellers both chose to return to school. Moore, after helping lead Oregon back to the College Football Playoff, emerged as a first-round prospect — until he decided to return as well.
“Awesome (and smart) of Dante Moore to come back to Oregon,” The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel wrote. “That QB draft class is now … yikes.”
Yikes might be right. The list of first-round quarterbacks has thinned to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. But according to Thamel, that shift could benefit quarterbacks who were previously viewed as fringe prospects.
“The Dante Moore news sends big ripples through the 2026 Draft,” Thamel said. “Ty Simpson rises to projected QB2 behind Fernando Mendoza. That’ll ripple down to guys like Carson Beck and Drew Allar in that next tier.”
Carson Beck’s Stock May Be On The Rise
Many may have forgotten that Beck had scouts buzzing after his first year as a starter at Georgia in 2023.
That season, he threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
The following year told a different story. Beck’s interception total doubled, and a UCL injury in his throwing arm further damaged his draft stock.
Now in his final season after transferring to Miami, Beck has led the Hurricanes to their first national championship appearance in 23 years. He threw for 3,581 yards and a career-high 29 touchdowns, along with 11 interceptions.
As for Allar, a broken left ankle midway through Penn State’s disappointing season caused his stock to slide as well. Still, evaluators believe there are traits teams feel they can work with at the next level.
It’s unlikely either Beck or Allar hear their names called in the first round, but with quarterback options thinning, teams may become far more desperate to add to their quarterback rooms following Moore’s decision.
Oregon’s Dante Moore’s $50 Million Decision May Be Big News For Miami’s Carson Beck