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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to return to school for the 2026 season, he announced Wednesday on ESPN's "SportsCenter."
By going back to Oregon, Moore gave up a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He'll project near the top of a loaded quarterback class for 2027.
"With this decision, mainly all my life has just been about being as most prepared as I can for any situation I go into," Moore told "SportsCenter." "And when it comes to me making my decision, I just want to do what's best for my situation, especially as a quarterback.
"With my decision, it's been very tough. I've prayed a lot about it, talked to many people -- my mentors and people I look up to. With that being said, of course I'll be coming back to Oregon for one more year, being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and reach our goal and be national champions."
Wednesday was the deadline for underclassmen not playing in the College Football Playoff championship game to declare for the draft.
Moore's return makes Oregon one of the favorites for the national title in 2026. The Ducks also retained multiple key pieces on the defensive line and return a strong nucleus of young wide receivers and tailbacks.
His decision also comes after ex-Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola announced he'd be transferring to Oregon, and tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman are among a few Oregon players to have declared for the NFL draft.
By going back to Oregon, Moore, 20, gave up a chance to make nearly $50 million in guaranteed money. Last year's No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, made $46.65 million fully guaranteed, and that number projects to go up this year.
"This year, I've had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day I feel I can still learn so much more," Moore told ESPN. "As a kid, since I was 4 years old, I've dreamed about being in the NFL, but this team, we've been through a lot, a lot of people are returning, so we've got some exciting things to come this year. I'm excited to keep pushing my team."
Moore, in his first season as a full-time starter, led Oregon to the CFP semifinals. He has started only 20 games as a college quarterback, which is below the line of demarcation of 25 starts that NFL executives look at as a cutoff of what they like to see in a starter.
Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025 for the Ducks. He completed 71.8% of his passes and threw 10 interceptions.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza further solidified himself as the presumed No. 1 selection in the NFL draft in the semifinal win against Oregon. He looked sharp, completing 17 of 20 passes and throwing for five touchdowns. Moore, meanwhile, threw a pick-six on the game's first play, lost two fumbles and finished the game 24-of-39.
That performance came after a breakthrough season that propelled Moore to the top of draft board. He'll begin the 2026 season in the same place for the 2027 draft.
The decision marks a rare instance of a player giving up so much guaranteed money and a spot near the top of the draft, with players such as Andrew Luck (Stanford) and Matt Leinart (USC) among those who made similar decisions in recent years.
