Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
10/26/26 | Football
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Monday night that he does not anticipate QB Dante Moore returning this season from the injury he suffered at USC in late September.
EUGENE, Ore. — The concussion that sidelined Dante Moore during the first half of Oregon's win at USC in late September turned out to be a season-ending injury, and potentially brought to a close Moore's career with the Ducks.
Moore has missed three subsequent games since the injury, and on Monday night UO head coach Dan Lanning said at a press conference that, "I'm not anticipating him being back this season." The Ducks are preparing to host Northwestern in Autzen Stadium on Saturday (12:30 p.m., Peacock).
A first-team preseason All-American according to The Associated Press, Moore completed 296-of-412 passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his first season as Oregon's starter in 2025. He was 69-of-99 for 926 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions this fall before being knocked from the game at USC on a vicious hit while Moore was sliding at the end of a run.
Lanning said Monday that the Ducks got clarity last week on Moore's condition moving forward.
"I think if it was up to Dante in any shape or way, he would want to be out there playing for guys, but unfortunately, it's not really up to Dante," Lanning said. "It's not really up to me. …
"We said before that this is a serious deal that he'll 100 percent be able to make a full recovery from. That hasn't changed … but for him to be out there on the field for us right now, that's not going to happen."
In Moore's absence, transfer Dylan Raiola and Eugene native Brock Thomas have started the past three games. The Ducks are 1-2 in October entering their Halloween battle with Northwestern, having beaten Nebraska in a game Thomas started before Raiola entered to lead a fourth-quarter rally. Raiola had previously rallied the Ducks to victory at USC after the injury to Moore.
Raiola and Thomas are a combined 70-of-113 passing for 741 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions this fall. Lanning said Monday there's also "100 percent an opportunity" for Akili Smith Jr. to be a factor at the position over the remainder of the season as well.
"We have guys that are capable for us to be able to have success on the field," said Lanning, who also announced Monday that assistant coach Jay Johnson will coordinate Oregon's offense moving forward after the dismissal of Drew Mehringer on Sunday. "We're not the only team in the country that is playing with a different quarterback, right? So we have to be able to do that at a high level. I think we have guys that can do that. We have to make sure as coaches we put them in the position to do that."
The Ducks are 4-3 on the season entering Saturday's match-up with Northwestern. Lanning said that record had no bearing on Moore's status in returning from the concussion.
"This isn't a selfish decision on Dante's part, saying, 'I don't want to come back, the season doesn't look like the way I want it to look,'" Lanning said. "That's not at all what this is."
Asked if Moore could potentially return with the Ducks in 2027, Lanning said, "That's not fair for me to say or speculate. Obviously, he'll have a decision again at the end of the season of what that looks like. I think we all can acknowledge that Dante's a great player, and he'll get the opportunity to be drafted. But what that looks like in the future, I think that's a decision for a later date. I don't know where his mind's at on that. We haven't had that conversation. That's not where my focus is at, or his."
Moore will remain a presence with the program despite being unlikely to play in a game again this season. He can participate in a controlled environment at practice despite not being able to appear in games.
"He's still going to be a big part of this team and helping us move forward, finding opportunities for us to be better," Lanning said. "I can tell you, we're getting one of the best scout-team quarterback looks every single week in practice."
Moore has missed three subsequent games since the injury, and on Monday night UO head coach Dan Lanning said at a press conference that, "I'm not anticipating him being back this season." The Ducks are preparing to host Northwestern in Autzen Stadium on Saturday (12:30 p.m., Peacock).
A first-team preseason All-American according to The Associated Press, Moore completed 296-of-412 passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his first season as Oregon's starter in 2025. He was 69-of-99 for 926 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions this fall before being knocked from the game at USC on a vicious hit while Moore was sliding at the end of a run.
Lanning said Monday that the Ducks got clarity last week on Moore's condition moving forward.
"I think if it was up to Dante in any shape or way, he would want to be out there playing for guys, but unfortunately, it's not really up to Dante," Lanning said. "It's not really up to me. …
"We said before that this is a serious deal that he'll 100 percent be able to make a full recovery from. That hasn't changed … but for him to be out there on the field for us right now, that's not going to happen."
In Moore's absence, transfer Dylan Raiola and Eugene native Brock Thomas have started the past three games. The Ducks are 1-2 in October entering their Halloween battle with Northwestern, having beaten Nebraska in a game Thomas started before Raiola entered to lead a fourth-quarter rally. Raiola had previously rallied the Ducks to victory at USC after the injury to Moore.
Raiola and Thomas are a combined 70-of-113 passing for 741 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions this fall. Lanning said Monday there's also "100 percent an opportunity" for Akili Smith Jr. to be a factor at the position over the remainder of the season as well.
"We have guys that are capable for us to be able to have success on the field," said Lanning, who also announced Monday that assistant coach Jay Johnson will coordinate Oregon's offense moving forward after the dismissal of Drew Mehringer on Sunday. "We're not the only team in the country that is playing with a different quarterback, right? So we have to be able to do that at a high level. I think we have guys that can do that. We have to make sure as coaches we put them in the position to do that."
The Ducks are 4-3 on the season entering Saturday's match-up with Northwestern. Lanning said that record had no bearing on Moore's status in returning from the concussion.
"This isn't a selfish decision on Dante's part, saying, 'I don't want to come back, the season doesn't look like the way I want it to look,'" Lanning said. "That's not at all what this is."
Asked if Moore could potentially return with the Ducks in 2027, Lanning said, "That's not fair for me to say or speculate. Obviously, he'll have a decision again at the end of the season of what that looks like. I think we all can acknowledge that Dante's a great player, and he'll get the opportunity to be drafted. But what that looks like in the future, I think that's a decision for a later date. I don't know where his mind's at on that. We haven't had that conversation. That's not where my focus is at, or his."
Moore will remain a presence with the program despite being unlikely to play in a game again this season. He can participate in a controlled environment at practice despite not being able to appear in games.
"He's still going to be a big part of this team and helping us move forward, finding opportunities for us to be better," Lanning said. "I can tell you, we're getting one of the best scout-team quarterback looks every single week in practice."
Players Mentioned
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