Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore will miss the entire 2026 season after suffering a concussion, coach Dan Lanning confirmed Monday night. Moore has been out since late September and will not return this year despite running scout-team offense in practice.
“I’m not anticipating him being back this season,” Lanning said. He added that while Moore would want to be on the field, the decision is beyond the player’s or coach’s control. “We can control the setting and practice where he’s able to do things for us, but that’s not always the case in the game.”
Moore’s injury happened on September 26 during a game at USC. After a 10-yard run, as he slid to the ground, Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered a hit to Moore’s head with his shoulder. The quarterback was taken off in a cart and loaded into an ambulance.
Following the injury, Moore entered concussion protocol and missed the next three games, including Oregon’s recent 21-10 loss at Illinois. He began throwing passes in practice wearing shorts and a sweatshirt but did not clear the protocol to return to game action. Lanning said Moore is expected to fully recover but will not play this season. “That hasn’t changed,” the coach said.
Moore will remain involved with the team, helping to find ways to improve, Lanning said. The Ducks, now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten, have struggled in his absence. Backup quarterbacks Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have rotated under center, with the offense scoring 42 points across three games but losing twice. The defeat at Illinois effectively ended Oregon’s hopes of a national playoff appearance and led to offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer’s firing.
Before the Illinois game, Moore told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he was feeling better but uncertain about returning this season, taking it “one day at a time.” His absence has weighed heavily on the Ducks, who opened the season ranked No. 2 nationally, the highest preseason ranking in program history.
Moore’s 2026 season began strongly. In the opener against Boise State, he threw for a career-high 378 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 win. The season’s momentum faltered the following week with a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma.
Moore transferred to Oregon in December 2023 after a difficult freshman year at UCLA, where he struggled and was benched midseason. He returned to Oregon to develop behind starter Dillon Gabriel. His 2025 season saw him pass for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, leading the Ducks to a 13-2 record and a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
Coach Lanning declined to comment on Moore’s future beyond this season. “That’s not fair for me to say or speculate,” he said. “Obviously, he’ll have a decision again at the end of the season and what that looks like. I think we all can acknowledge that Dante is a great player and he will get an opportunity to get drafted. But what that looks like in the future, I think that’s a decision for a later date.”
Moore’s injury and prolonged absence have left the Ducks scrambling to maintain their national standing. Oregon must now win its final five games to reach 9-3 and hope playoff contenders falter. The team faces a difficult road ahead without its projected first-round pick and offensive leader.
According to Yahoo Sports.
