Dante Moore is back in Eugene, and that alone changes the shape of Oregon’s season.
The Ducks’ quarterback room enters 2026 with a clear headliner, a highly touted backup, a steady third option and a young arm with real long-term intrigue. Moore’s choice to skip the 2026 NFL Draft and return gives Oregon a proven starter at the top of the depth chart as the program chases its first national championship. He’s back not just to push the Ducks toward that goal, but to sharpen his leadership, tighten up his accuracy and cut down on turnovers.
Moore’s first season as Oregon’s starter showed exactly why the staff trusts him. After spending 2024 behind Dillon Gabriel, he stepped into the job and handled the pressure, helping the Ducks reach the College Football Playoff for the second straight year. He finished as the Big Ten’s third-leading passer behind USC’s Jayden Maiava and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, throwing for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
There’s also another layer to Moore’s game Oregon wants to unlock. With his return, the Ducks are looking for more mobility from him, and the way he runs the offense could end up being one of the biggest factors in their championship push.
Dan Lanning made it clear at Oregon Football Media Day in Eugene that the staff is planning to challenge Moore while still leaning into what already makes him effective.
“I think with any great player, you always say. ‘What are they capable of?
What can they handle?’ And the more they can handle, the more you throw at them.
Right? You throw the kitchen sink at them and see what they can do,” Lanning said at Oregon's media day.
“But on the same note, let’s not forget how we got here and what’s made him really good in the past. So, every player is different.
Dante has a ton of experience. We’re going to add wrinkles every single year on both sides of the ball, and then special teams,” Lanning continued.
Behind Moore, Oregon has Dylan Raiola in position to learn and develop. The former Nebraska starter arrives after two seasons in Lincoln, where he threw for 4,819 yards, 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Lanning said Raiola has already taken a noticeable step forward since getting to Eugene, especially during a recent scrimmage in fall camp.
“Yeah, Dylan’s gotten a lot better,” Lanning said. “He looks like a night-and-day different player from when he got here in the spring.
“That being said there’s moments already I know from today that I’m like, okay, this is something we've got to improve, right? So we have to attack,” Lanning continued.
The Ducks’ third-string quarterback is expected to be Brock Thomas, a junior who has thrown for 130 yards and a touchdown in his time at Oregon. Thomas, a Eugene native, walked on after turning down multiple scholarship offers and was rated a three-star recruit when he joined Oregon’s 2023 class, per 247Sports.
Then there’s Akili Smith Jr., one of the more interesting young players in the room. The redshirt freshman from San Diego Lincoln High School is the son of former Ducks quarterback Akili Smith, and his future with the program carries obvious potential. Smith Jr. was rated the No. 201 player nationally and the No. 25 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports.
For Oregon, the quarterback room starts with Moore. But the rest of it gives the Ducks a lot to work with beyond this season.
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