Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s rapid ascent this season has been a welcome sight for the Ducks. The 6’3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore has always had the talent, as he was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, but his progress has not been linear.
After a tumultuous freshman year at UCLA, Moore transferred to Oregon, sat behind Dillon Gabriel for a year, and then took over the starting job.
Now, Moore leads the No. 3-ranked, 5-0 Ducks with a whopping 1,210 passing yards, fourteen passing touchdowns, 74.6 completion percentage, and only one interception. As of today, Moore is the Heisman frontrunner alongside Miami’s Carson Beck and is firmly in the running for the No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore has earned the praise he’s getting with stellar play, but remains even-keeled.
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
In a recent mock draft, Moore was slotted No. 1 overall to the New York Jets. Moore’s silky smooth throwing motion and his calm demeanor would seem like a perfect fit to handle the pressure of the Big Apple and the expectation that comes along with it. Any player would be thrilled to be selected No. 1 overall, but landing in New York would be just that much more exciting.
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“Dante Moore is a composed, confident pocket passer who thrives under pressure, consistently working through progressions and delivering accurate, tight-window throws with anticipation. He’s highly effective when moving the launch point, showing the arm strength and touch to attack every level of the field — often off-platform. While not a true dual-threat, Moore’s poise, vision and athleticism allow him to extend plays and create when protection breaks down, and he repeatedly shows up in big moments,” Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports said.
“The scintillating arm talent and athleticism are obviously still there, but Moore’s newfound unflappability in the pocket has been eye-opening. He’s averaging a ridiculous 8.8 yards per attempt when under pressure this season with no interceptions and has the second-lowest pressure-to-sack conversion rate in the country (3.2%). From an evaluation perspective, that’s the holy grail,” CBS Sports analyst Mike Renner said.
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images / James Lang-Imagn Images
Moore has already led the Ducks to a signature win this season with an overtime thriller against the Penn State Nittany Lions, but he now faces another tough test in the Indiana Hoosiers. One of his chief competitors for the No. 1 overall pick is Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was slotted in the top ten of the same mock draft that was released.
A win and a strong showing would not only give the Ducks back-to-back wins over established Big Ten programs, but it would also further solidify Moore as the Heisman favorite and No. 1 overall draft favorite as well. Moore has the stage and an opportunity to seize a moment no quarterback in Oregon history has before two times over. As always, expect it to look like just another game for the calm and collected gunslinger.