Dante Moore’s return to Oregon came with a price tag that would make almost any college quarterback look like a bargain - and a rare kind of leverage.
Moore is one of 13 starting quarterbacks expected to make more than $3 million this season, according to On3, and Pete Nakos recently ranked him No. 2 on a list of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football. The reported figure attached to Moore sits around $5 million, but that money is not coming from just one place.
It starts with the decision that turned heads: Moore passed on a potential $55 million guaranteed NFL contract to come back to Eugene for another year with the Ducks. That alone puts him in unusual company heading into the 2026 season, both as one of the most valuable quarterbacks in the sport and as one of the few players to turn down that kind of pro payday for another run in college.
His compensation can be built from several streams. There’s direct revenue sharing from Oregon, money from the school’s NIL collective and outside endorsement deals layered on top.
The biggest shift in the system came after the House v. NCAA settlement, which opened the door for schools to send a portion of athletic department revenue directly to athletes.
That pool is not limitless. Division I schools that opt in can distribute up to 22% of the average annual athletic department revenue generated by Power conference institutions to student-athletes.
For 2026, that works out to roughly $20.5 million to $22 million per school across all sports. From there, athletic departments decide how to split it, and Power Four programs generally send about 70 percent to 75 percent of the pool to football.
Once that football money gets divided across the roster, quarterbacks like Moore are in line for a bigger slice because of what they mean to the program.
Then there’s the endorsement side, where Moore already has a strong lineup. His national brand deals include Nike, Beats by Dre, EA Sports, DoorDash and now CELSIUS. He added the drink company ahead of the 2026 season, giving him another source of NIL income outside his team-related compensation.
CELSIUS announced Moore as one of four college football players in its latest campaign on Wednesday, Aug. 26. He is joined by Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, Texas wide receiver Cam Coleman and Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.
The campaign centers on CELSIUS’ “LIVE. FIT.
GO.” message and will feature Moore in content tied to workouts, preparation and game days. It also includes campus activations, giving him a chance to show up at CELSIUS events and connect with students and fans around major games.
“College football has an unmatched ability to bring people together, and these partnerships deepen CELSIUS’ connection to the culture and the students, fans and communities that make game day unlike anything else in sports,” chief brand officer of CELSIUS Kyle Watson said.
The financial terms of the CELSIUS deal were not disclosed, so Moore’s total earnings from the partnership remain unclear. But the move is another reminder that his reported $5 million compensation is built from multiple sources, not just one line on a ledger.
In Other News...
Bryce Boettcher May Have Just Played His Way Onto The Colts
The NFL preseason wrapped up with several former Ducks getting their final live reps before teams turn to cutdown decisions, and Bryce Boettcher made the kind of case players are always hoping to make in August. The Indianapolis Colts linebacker finished with five tackles and forced a fumble in a loss to Detroit, a busy enough night to stand out on a field full of rookies trying to carve out roles.
For Oregon fans, Boettchers showing was one of the more notable developments from the weekend, especially with other Ducks in different spots seeing lighter work. Chicago safety Dillon Thieneman started in a win at Tennessee but did not show up in the stat sheet, while Houston running back Noah Whittington and Jacksonville guard Emmanuel Pregnon did not play. A handful of other Oregon rookies were around the action in limited fashion, but Boettchers performance was the one that likely left the strongest impression as the preseason closed. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Transfer Andrew Olesh Opens Up About The Game That Changed Everything
Andrew Olesh arrived in Eugene with a pretty clear memory of what Oregon looked like from the other sideline. The former Penn State tight end, once a top recruit, pointed back to the Ducks double-overtime win over the Nittany Lions during his freshman year as a moment that stuck with him, and it is part of the backdrop to his move to Oregon. Now he is trying to carve out a role in a tight end room led by Jamari Johnson, where the immediate task is straightforward enough: earn backup snaps and fit into a program that has already made a strong impression on him.
Dan Lannings track record was always going to matter in a decision like this, but Olesh also cited the personal connection he felt with the Oregon coach as a major factor in choosing to transfer. For a player still early in his college career, that mix of winning, trust and familiarity can be hard to ignore, especially when the destination is a team that already showed him something memorable in one of the games he watched most closely. The next question is whether that connection helps him turn a fresh start into a real foothold in Oregons offense. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ducks Are Turning NFL Roster Cuts Into A Real Debate
The early NFL roster churn has already put a few former Oregon Ducks back in the spotlight, and not always in the way they would have hoped. Dillon Gabriel closed the preseason with a strong showing for the Cleveland Browns, throwing three touchdowns, while Bryce Boettcher turned heads with his play for the Indianapolis Colts and safety Dillon Thieneman flashed enough in three games with the Chicago Bears to stay on the radar.
Jabbar Muhammad also did enough in Jacksonville to make the conversation more interesting, even if the Jaguars ultimately went another direction when they set their 53-man roster. With Gabriel currently on injured reserve, the bigger question for Oregon fans is which of these ex-Ducks can turn a good summer into something more permanent once the regular season pressure starts shaping real opportunity. [Read more 🡒]