Oregon’s quarterback picture got murkier this week, and Dante Moore’s concussion status is only part of it.
The Ducks are trying to sort out who takes the first snap against Nebraska after Dylan Raiola’s rough turn in Week 6, and Wednesday’s injury report added more moving pieces. Moore was listed as out as he works back from the concussion he suffered Sept. 26 against USC, while starting safety Aaron Flowers was also ruled out after Dan Lanning said earlier in the day that he would be sidelined for “the foreseeable future.”
That leaves Oregon juggling decisions on both sides of the ball. At quarterback, Lanning has to decide whether Raiola gets another shot after his uneven outing against UCLA or whether former walk-on Brock Thomas gets the nod. Second-year quarterback Akili Smith Jr. is also in the mix as a sleeper contender.
Raiola had looked like the obvious answer after stepping in for Moore against USC, where he threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He was even sharper the week before that, going 11-for-11 in his debut.
But against UCLA, the performance went sideways fast. He completed only six of 19 passes for 43 yards and threw two interceptions.
Oregon’s offense managed just one score while he was on the field, and that came after the defense set up the Ducks at the one-yard line with a forced fumble.
Thomas gave Oregon a lift in that game, finishing 11-for-15 for 156 yards and a touchdown to keep the Ducks close. He had already shown he can steady things, too, helping Oregon to a win in 2025 when he came in for Moore against Wisconsin.
Lanning said the staff still has work to do before deciding who starts.
“Well, it'd be worth evaluating regardless,” Lanning said after the UCLA loss. “It'd be too early to make a decision there, but have to go back, evaluate the film, evaluate practice, and see what it looks like, and then see where Dante's at.”
He added Wednesday: “Yeah, timing is a piece of that. Operating what we're doing, and making sure that we can do it at a high level,” Lanning said on Wednesday about what he’s looking for. “And I think evaluating efficiency through practice, so you can take the practice results and let it carry right over to game results, right?”
“And be able to build off of okay, what's it look like in practice? Where's it been the most consistent? And grading that with a fine tooth comb, and then making sure you have as many guys prepared as possible, right, to be able to evaluate that,” he added.
There was also a surprise on the injury report: wide receiver Evan Stewart was listed as questionable. Stewart has 27 catches for 352 yards and four touchdowns this season, and he led Oregon with five receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown against UCLA.
That matters because the Ducks are already without Jeremiah McClellan, who broke his foot during warmups before the 84-0 win over Portland State. If Stewart can’t go against Nebraska, Oregon could lean on true freshmen like Messiah Hampton or Jalen Lott to help build chemistry with whichever quarterback ends up starting. Getting the ball to playmakers has already been a problem for this offense.
The first injury report is just the opening round of the Big Ten’s required updates, which begin three days before the game. Oregon’s next report is due at 5 p.m.
PT on Thursday. The full list on Wednesday included McClellan, Moore, Flowers, running back Simeon Price, linebacker Brayden Platt and offensive lineman Trent Ferguson.
Flowers’ absence creates another hole for Oregon’s defense. He started alongside Koi Perich in the first four games and posted 17 tackles with a pass deflection before getting hurt. Lanning said Flowers had surgery and explained why the Ducks chose that route.
“Yeah, update on Aaron, (he) had surgery, so he's going to be done for the foreseeable future,” Lanning said. “Something that he tried to tough out.
Credit to him. Sometimes you can play through that, but you're probably not going to play as well.
But it's one of those ones where it made sense to get it repaired for him.”
Veteran Peyton Woodyard and true freshman Devin Jackson filled in at safety against UCLA, and Lanning said both showed some good and some not-so-good moments while continuing to improve. Redshirt freshman Trey McNutt and true freshman Jett Washington are also names to watch if Oregon turns to younger players for more snaps.
In Other News...
Oregon Faces A Bigger Question Than Nebraska In This Big Ten Test
After close losses to ranked opponents, Oregon and Nebraska arrive in Eugene looking for the kind of Big Ten win that can steady a season and sharpen a rsum. The Ducks are expecting quarterback Dante Moore back from a concussion, and that matters as much as anything on the schedule, because Oregon has spent the past stretch trying to figure out how much its offense can lean on him in a game with conference consequences.
Nebraska brings its own intrigue after Anthony Colandrea has thrown 13 touchdown passes this season, and the trip adds another layer to the night. It will be the Cornhuskers third straight West Coast appearance and their first night game out there, which means Oregon is dealing with more than just a matchup of teams coming off losses. The bigger question may be whether the Ducks can use this moment to settle their quarterback situation and reassert themselves before the Big Ten grind gets any tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Akili Smith Jr. Is Suddenly A Real Factor In Oregon's QB Battle
Akili Smith Jr. has gone from a name mostly tucked into the background of Oregons quarterback room to someone worth watching in a hurry. Dan Lanning confirmed the sophomore is being considered as a potential starter against Nebraska, a sign that Smiths recent progress has caught the staffs attention even after limited game action this season. With his size and arm talent, he has the kind of physical tools that can keep a quarterback race interesting well past the point when it first seems settled.
The bigger picture is that Oregon still has not closed the door on the competition. Dante Moore remains in the mix, along with Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas, and Lanning has left the decision open as the Ducks sort through their options. For now, Smiths rise is the latest reminder that depth charts can shift quickly, especially when a coach sees enough improvement to start seriously weighing a player against the field. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Has A Safety Decision That Could Test Its Season
Aaron Flowers season is over after the Oregon safety underwent surgery, leaving the Ducks with an unexpected hole in the back end of their defense at a point in the season when stability matters. Head coach Dan Lanning had already left the door open to uncertainty around Flowers status before the announcement, and now Oregon has to sort through a position group that suddenly looks thinner than it did a week ago.
The next move is likely to come from inside the building, with veteran Peyton Woodyard in the mix along with younger options Trey McNutt and Jett Washington. For a team that leans on its defense to stay on track, the decision at safety is about more than one lineup card. It could shape how Oregon handles the coming stretch, and how quickly the Ducks trust unproven depth in a role that asks for communication, range, and poise. [Read more 🡒]