What's next for Dante Moore? Oregon QB faces NFL decision after CFP loss to Indiana

What's next for Dante Moore? Oregon QB faces NFL decision after CFP loss to Indiana originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A strong 2025 season for Dante Moore and the Oregon Ducks came to a crashing end Friday night.

Indiana blew out Oregon 56-15 in the 2026 Peach Bowl, coasting after a 35-7 halftime lead and advancing to the College Football Playoff championship game against Miami. Dan Lanning's team was outplayed on both sides of the ball, including multiple turnovers by its star quarterback.

With his season officially over, Moore now faces an uncertain future in Eugene. He could return to the Ducks, with two years of collegiate eligibility remaining, but he’s also drawing buzz as a potential top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

What will Moore decide? Here’s a breakdown of his situation and draft projection.

MORE: The Sporting News' latest NFL Mock Draft

What's next for Dante Moore?

Moore has a decision ahead of him. For some potential first-round quarterbacks, they're out of eligibility, making it easy to take their talents to the NFL without looking back. But in the era of NIL, where Moore could continue developing at Oregon while making a significant amount of money, it's no guarantee he's ready to head to the league.

Moore just completed his redshirt sophomore season, spending the 2023 season at UCLA prior to his transfer to Oregon in 2024. He has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining. As a prospect, Moore has been viewed as a quarterback who could benefit from continued collegiate development — if he does declare for the draft and is taken in the first round, that will more so be because of his ceiling, not how NFL-ready he is.

If his performance in Friday's Peach Bowl proved anything, it's that Moore should at least consider returning to college in 2026. While he could declare for the NFL and likely be a high-end first-round pick, he also has plenty of room to grow. Facing a tougher Indiana defense in the CFP, Moore threw a pick-six and fumbled twice, one of them partially due to a miscue with his running back.

D'ANGELO PONDS PICK SIX ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME 😱pic.twitter.com/aq2YspoDt5

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 10, 2026

If Moore does declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, don't be surprised if he gets a ton of buzz as one of the top quarterbacks on the board. After all, he threw for 3,280 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first year as a full-time starter. But with his development still coming along, he also has the option to return to Oregon, continuing to progress before heading to the next level.

MORE: How Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza were competing for 2026 Draft spot

Will Dante Moore come back to Oregon?

It's officially unknown whether Moore will be declaring for the NFL Draft or returning to Oregon for the 2026 season. However, based on the draft buzz he's gotten from scouts and media, it's more expected that he'll head to the NFL.

Still, Moore's father, Otha, told ESPN in December that "there's no rush" for the quarterback to head to the pros.

"Whenever he feels like he's ready, he'll step up to that next level," Otha Moore told ESPN. "Everyone says, 'Hey, you should go now, you should go now.' We don't care about the pick where he's going to go. It's just about the mental aspect."

Along with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Moore has been projected as one of the premiere passing prospects for the 2026 class. Should he return to Oregon next season, he'd then become a headlining name for the 2027 class.

SN AWARDS: 2025 All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year

Dante Moore draft projections

In The Sporting News' latest 2026 NFL mock draft, Moore was projected to go No. 2 to the New York Jets, behind Mendoza at No. 1 to the Raiders. Should Moore officially declare, he can be expected to be a first-round pick and likely top-10 selection, if not top-5.

By now, Mendoza has likely proven himself as the best quarterback prospect in the class. However, Moore has been viewed as a close second — and his younger age offers reasons to believe he'll continue improving.

In NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus 2026 rankings, Moore is slotted in as the No. 2 overall player, trailing only Mendoza. However, there are some analysts who have argued to slot Moore above Mendoza.

ESPN's Mel Kiper named Moore as his current No. 1 prospect on Jan. 8, writing that Moore "can throw from different arm angles with precision and delivers strikes while rolling either left or right out of the pocket," and "nothing ever seems to faze him."

Regardless of his rough performance in the Peach Bowl, if Moore declares for the draft, a quarterback-needy team will likely be eyeing him in the first round.

How old is Dante Moore?

Dante Moore is 20 years old. He'll turn 21 on May 24, 2026.

Moore's age is part of the reason he's been considered a top 2026 quarterback prospect, with the expectation that he'll continue developing after he reaches the NFL.

Dante Moore stats

Moore made five starts for UCLA as a freshman in 2023, then took a backseat to Dillon Gabriel at Oregon in 2024. The 2025 season was his first as a full-time starter in college.

Here's a look at Moore's year-by-year college numbers.