Oregon Rules Out Dante Moore for Rest of 2026 Season

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is not expected to play again this season after suffering a concussion against USC on September 26, coach Dan Lanning announced Monday. Moore has missed three consecutive games and has not received medical clearance, leaving the Ducks without their starting quarterback as they attempt to recover from recent offensive struggles.

Moore sustained the injury when he attempted to slide during a scramble in the second quarter against USC. Linebacker Desman Stephens II hit him late, and Moore remained on the field for an extended period before an ambulance transported him to Los Angeles General Medical Center for evaluation. The team later confirmed the concussion, although his MRI and CT scans showed no abnormalities.

Before the injury, Moore completed 69.7% of his passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception in four games. His absence has coincided with a significant decline in Oregon's offensive production, with the Ducks scoring fewer than 20 points in each of their three games without him. Oregon lost two of those contests.

Lanning said Moore would prefer to return but emphasized that the decision reflects medical considerations rather than the team's performance.

"If it was up to Dante in any shape, way, he would be out there playing for the guys," Lanning said. "This isn't a selfish decision on Dante's part, saying, 'I don't want to come back, the season doesn't look the way I want it to look.' That's not at all what this is."

Although Moore had resumed practicing and throwing in recent weeks, the coaching staff had not provided a return timeline. Lanning said the team received greater clarity during the week and could not safely control the conditions Moore would face during a game as it could during scout-team practice.

The coach maintained that Moore's long-term recovery remained the priority, while confirming that the quarterback would continue to contribute to the team in a different capacity.

"We said before that this is a serious deal that he'll 100% be able to fully recover from, that hasn't changed," Lanning said. "But for him to be out there on the field for us, that's not going to happen. We'd love to have Dante out there, he's still going to be a big part of this team."

Moore entered the season as a preseason Heisman Trophy contender after leading Oregon to a 13-2 record in 2025. He threw for 3,565 yards, completed 71% of his passes and recorded 30 touchdowns. Before choosing to return for his senior season, he had been widely projected as a potential top-three selection in the 2026 NFL draft.

Oregon began the season ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll with national championship aspirations. However, the offense has struggled without Moore, with backup Dylan Raiola and third-string quarterback Brock Thomas sharing starting duties without establishing consistency.

The quarterback's absence comes amid further changes to Oregon's coaching staff. Lanning fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday following a 21-10 loss to Illinois, a result that effectively ended the Ducks' hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season.

Lanning announced Monday night that offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson would take over playcalling duties. Johnson is in his first season with Oregon and has coached college football since 1994, most recently serving as offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Michigan State.

Lanning described the coaching change as an effort to improve the offense's consistency and create a fresh opportunity for progress.

"Ultimately, I felt like we needed to be able to develop more consistency there, and this gave us a spark and an opportunity to be able to do that," Lanning said.

Moore began his college career at UCLA, where he started as a freshman in 2023 and threw for 1,610 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions over the first six games before being replaced by Ethan Garbers. He transferred to Oregon during the offseason, initially backing up Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel in 2024 before becoming the Ducks' starter the following season.