Oregon does not expect quarterback Dante Moore to play again this season as he recovers from a concussion, coach Dan Lanning announced on Monday. Moore has not appeared in a game since Sept. 26, when he was hurt after a late hit to the head from USC linebacker Desman Stephens II.
Lanning said the team gained clarity on the situation over the past week. He noted that Moore would gladly be on the field if the choice were his, but that the decision does not rest with the player or the coach. "We can control the setting in practice where he's able to do things for us, but that's not always the case in the game," Lanning said.
The coach repeated his earlier message that the injury is serious but that Moore will "100 percent" make a full recovery. "For him to be out there on the field for us right now, that's not going to happen," Lanning said.
Moore is still expected to contribute in other ways. Lanning said the quarterback will help the Ducks defense in practice, noting that the team is getting "one of the best scout team looks every single week" and that Moore "looks good out there."
Before the injury, Moore had completed 69.7% of his passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns, with no interceptions. Last season he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, completing 71.8% of his throws for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Oregon's offense has struggled in his absence, ranking among the weakest in Big Ten play as the team has alternated between backups Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas. Asked what he wants from the two, Lanning pointed to "consistency," particularly at the start of games. "We've been a really good quarterback room off the bench," he said. "We haven't been a very good quarterback room consistently at the start of games."
The Ducks are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. They return to the field Saturday against No. 20 Northwestern.
The news raises questions about Moore's future. Even after last season he was projected as a first-round NFL Draft pick, but he chose to come back to college in pursuit of a national championship. That plan did not materialize for him or for Oregon, and he will face another decision when the 2026 season ends.
Lanning said he has not discussed those plans with Moore and declined to speculate. "He'll have a decision at the end of the season about what that looks like," he said. "I think we all can acknowledge Dante is a great player, and he'll get the opportunity to be drafted." He added that neither his own focus nor Moore's is on that choice right now.
Under the NCAA's new five-year eligibility policy, Moore could return to Oregon in 2027. Despite the injury, he is again projected as a first-round pick, though opinions differ on where he might land. A slow start and a season-ending injury have likely hurt his draft stock, which could make another year in college a risk, or a chance to show he is healthy and climb draft boards again.
