Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore has a significant decision to make: Whether to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Although Moore had a rough game in the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Indiana Hoosiers, he will likely be the No. 2 QB prospect behind Fernando Mendoza, in what many consider a strong signal-caller class.
If the Las Vegas Raiders take Mendoza, the next team without a quarterback is the New York Jets. The Jets will need to decide whether to select Moore or entertain offers from teams willing to trade up and draft the Oregon star.
Nonetheless, on Jan. 12, WFAN host Craig Carton urged the Jets to avoid drafting Moore.
“I got a chance to see up close and personal the guy that all you college football experts keep telling me is going to be a great quarterback in the NFL,” Carton said. “I do not want Dante Moore. I want no part of Dante Moore.
“Dante Moore [against Indiana] looked like a New York Jets quarterback. I want no part of it. I hope he stays in school for another year. I’d rather take Trent Chambliss, although they lost almost against Miami. I’ll take Chambliss all day over Dante Moore.”
Dante Moore Could Consider Returning to Oregon
Moore has yet to decide on his future. After the loss to Indiana on Jan. 9, the media asked the Oregon star whether he intends to return to school or head to the NFL.
“I don’t know my decision yet,” Moore said (h/t Ducks Wire).
Moreover, due to Oregon’s lopsided performance against the Hoosiers, Zachary Neel, the Ducks’ beat reporter for USA Today, expressed the belief that several veteran players, including Moore, could return for the 2026 season.
“If you are a person who feels inclined to try and look at the bright side of things in life, this outcome will likely lead to a lot of veterans returning for the 2026 season, Dante Moore among them,” Neel wrote on Jan. 9 on X during the Indiana win.
NFL Decision Isn’t Easy for Oregon QB Dante Moore
Amid the uncertainty, ESPN host Rece Davis spoke with Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus and noted that Moore has to think long and hard about whether he’s ready for the NFL, given he has only a handful of starts in college.
“There’s no rush. You’re going to be an NFL quarterback whether you go immediately or whether you go next year,” Davis told Amaranthus in the article published on Jan. 12. “Make sure you’re ready to go. And by that, I don’t necessarily just mean in terms of playing on the field. Make sure you’re ready for your life to change because it’s going to (change) in the pros.
“Make sure that’s what you really want to do because there’s no going back. The decision gets made one time. It’s not going to be the end of the world if you decide, ‘Hey, you know what? I like Eugene. I like Oregon. I like playing for Dan Lanning. I like playing in the Big Ten, and I want to stay.’”