Oregon QB Dante Moore to miss rest of season with concussion

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will not play again this season, head coach Dan Lanning announced Monday. The decision comes after the senior missed the past three games following a concussion sustained in September. Lanning stated that while Moore has returned to practice and thrown the ball in recent weeks, the medical team did not clear him for game action.

The injury occurred during a game against USC on Sept. 26. Moore attempted a slide after a scramble and was hit late by linebacker Desman Stephens II in the second quarter. He was transported to Los Angeles General Medical Center for evaluation. While his MRI and CT scans showed no abnormalities, the team diagnosed a concussion. Before the injury, Moore had started four games with a 69.7 percent completion rate, 926 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Lanning emphasized that the decision was not driven by Moore's desire to rest. "If it was up to Dante in any shape, way, he would be out there playing for the guys," Lanning said. The coach explained that while the coaching staff can control practice environments, they cannot control the physicality of a game. Lanning described the situation as being "out of their territory" regarding game-day risks.

The Ducks' offense has struggled in Moore's absence. The team scored fewer than 20 points in each of the last three games, losing two of them. Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola and third-stringer Brock Thomas have shared starting duties but have not established a consistent rhythm. On Sunday, Lanning dismissed offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer after a 21-10 loss to Illinois. That result ended Oregon's bid for a third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.

Lanning named Jay Johnson, the offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach, as the new playcaller. Johnson is in his first year with Oregon and previously served as offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Michigan State. "Ultimately, I felt like we needed to be able to develop more consistency there, and this gave us a spark and an opportunity to be able to do that," Lanning said.

Moore transferred to Oregon after starting his career at UCLA. He became the Ducks' starter in 2025, leading the team to a 13-2 record. That season, he threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with a 71 percent completion rate. He was widely projected as a top-three pick in the 2026 NFL draft before choosing to return for his senior year.

According to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., Moore is currently ranked as the 25th prospect in the upcoming draft. Lanning said the team remains confident Moore will fully recover. "We'd love to have Dante out there, he's still going to be a big part of this team," the coach added.