EUGENE - Oregon’s quarterback situation is unsettled enough on its own. The bigger issue hanging over the Ducks right now is what Dante Moore’s absence means for the season - and for the way NFL evaluators keep looking at him.
Moore remains out after suffering a concussion against USC on Sept. 26, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning has not given a timetable for his return. Lanning has made it clear the Ducks are going to be careful with the injury, and the encouraging sign is that Moore has practiced for a second straight week.
In the meantime, Dylan Raiola, Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. are battling for the starting job as Oregon prepares to face Nebraska.
The Ducks entered the year ranked No. 2, with Moore front and center in a Heisman Trophy push that even showed up on billboards in Tokyo. Instead, Oregon has taken two upset losses, and the season has veered off script. But those losses - and Moore’s injury - do not tell the whole story about his NFL future.
Mel Kiper Jr. helped make that point when he released his first top-25 prospect board, placing Moore at No. 25 on his initial 2027 NFL Draft Big Board. Six quarterbacks were listed ahead of him, including Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 24.
That’s still a step back from the way Kiper framed the top of the 2027 class before the season, when he said the No. 1 pick race was between Moore and Manning.
Kiper also laid out the main question hanging over Moore’s draft profile.
"But he has to show he can take over some games against top-tier competition. His performance against Penn State in 2025 (at a time when the Nittany Lions were the No. 3 team in the country) was exceptional," Kiper wrote.
"But he couldn't bottle that performance and repeat it against other top teams over the rest of that season. He now has a chance to prove he can rise to the matchup this year -- most notably against Ohio State on Nov. 7," Kiper wrote.
That game looms large for Oregon for more than one reason. The Ducks travel to Columbus to face No.
4 Ohio State exactly six weeks after Moore’s injury in Los Angeles. If Moore is cleared in time, that showdown could be his chance to reshape the discussion around both himself and Oregon.
The Ducks also need a spark in the CFP race. With two losses already on the ledger, their path has thinned, but an upset at The Shoe would change the way the season is being talked about in a hurry.
There is another ranked opponent still on the schedule too: No. 25 Northwestern on Halloween.
Moore’s overall standing hasn’t collapsed, even if the idea of him being the first quarterback taken has lost some momentum. Todd McShay still sees him as a top-five pick and said he’s "not overrated."
Before the injury, Moore had completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Around him, the 2027 quarterback conversation is getting deeper. Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Missouri’s Austin Simmons and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr have all started to enter the mix as names to watch.
Oregon, meanwhile, has continued to feed the league. The Ducks have had at least six players selected in each of the last four NFL Drafts, with 31 total picks under Lanning, and 48 players currently spread across NFL rosters, practice squads and reserve lists.
For now, though, the focus stays on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, where Oregon hosts Nebraska without Moore and tries to keep the season moving forward.
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Ohio State Just Entered A Quarterback Debate Nobody Wanted
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Indianas Playoff Picture Just Got More Complicated After AP Chaos
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The Trojans still picked up a little from the chaos, climbing to No. 17 in the AP Top 25, but the bigger question is whether they can turn that position into a real playoff push. Oddsmakers still view USC as a long shot at +425 to make the College Football Playoff, and the road ahead runs straight through opponents like Ohio State and Indiana, the kind of games that could either validate the buzz or leave the picture just as murky. [Read more 🡒]