Oregon quarterback Dante Moore opts out of NFL Draft as top pick to stay in school
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Dante Moore isn’t going anywhere.
The Oregon quarterback announced Wednesday that, despite being in line to possibly be taken No. 2 overall by the New York Jets later this year, he will remain in school for one more year.
Moore said he will stay at Oregon even though star quarterback Dylan Raiola transferred there.
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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore passes against Indiana during the second half of the NCAA Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal in Atlanta on Jan. 9, 2026. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
“I’m going back to Oregon for another year,” Moore told ESPN.
Moore skyrocketed up the quarterback prospect list in his first full season with Oregon. He completed 71.2% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He started at UCLA and saw time in nine games, starting several, but transferred to Oregon before the 2024 season and replaced Dillon Gabriel that year.
Moore took over last season and impressed, leading the Ducks to a College Football Playoff semifinal last week, where they were defeated by No. 1 Indiana, 56-22.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore passes the ball to Oregon running back Noah Whittington during the first half against Montana State on Aug. 30, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon. (AP Photo/Lydia Ely)
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Moore was supposed to be the second pick behind Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and will play for a national championship and a 16-0 season next week against No. 10 Miami. The Jets own the second pick and are in quarterback limbo after starting Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook this season.
Trinidad Chambliss and Ty Simpson would be available for the Jets, who also have the 16th and 33rd picks in the draft.
However, the Jets are not the only team affected. With Raiola, a former five-star recruit, recently transferred, the newcomer hopes to back up Moore in 2026.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) passes for a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter during a College Football Playoff first-round game against the James Madison Dukes on Dec. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Assuming Moore starts in 2026, it will be the first time since pre-Bo Nix that Dan Lanning will have the same starting quarterback in back-to-back seasons.
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