Dante Moore delays NFL draft entry: Reactions to Oregon QB's decision
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Dante Moore isn’t leaving Oregon football just yet.
Fresh off a loss in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal, Moore announced on Wednesday’s edition of “SportsCenter” that he is not declaring for the NFL draft and instead will be returning to the Ducks for the 2026 season.
It was a decision by Moore that came as a bit of a surprise, largely because of how his NFL mock draft projections were looking as a high first-round draft pick. He had been projected to go No. 2 overall to the New York Jets in USA TODAY’s latest NFL mock draft.
“Good for him,” former NFL executive and ESPN NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum said on “SportsCenter” following Moore’s decision.
He told ESPN’s Christine Williamson that he felt it was in his best interest to return for another year to make sure that he would be playing his “best ball” going into the NFL draft next season, where he is expected to be a top quarterback pick.
“Since (I was) a four-year-old, I have dreamed about playing in the NFL. And of course, the NFL is something that the professionals play at and I feel like I could have been excited going into there where I got drafted. …But I kind of feel like coming back is the best thing for me to make sure when that day does happen, that I’m fully prepared and I’m able to play my best ball.”
“Of course, I’ll be coming back to Oregon for one more year.”
Dante Moore tells SportsCenter that he’s running it back with the Ducks to chase a national championship next season 😤 pic.twitter.com/8YpwVafPjJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 14, 2026
The former five-star recruit finished 296-of-412 passing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdown passes this season in his first season as Oregon’s starting quarterback. He led the Ducks to their third consecutive season of at least 12 overall wins, and the program’s second straight College Football Playoff berth.
Given the slight shock in Moore’s decision to delay entering the NFL, those within the college football and NFL world didn’t hold back offering their thoughts on it.
Football fans react to Dante Moore returning to Oregon
Here’s a snippet of reactions from those within the college football and NFL worlds talking about Moore’s decision:
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore said he has decided to return to school for the 2026 season, forgoing a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His decision is expected to have significant ramifications on the draft. pic.twitter.com/IPQRYOSbbC
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2026
Oregon QB Dante Moore is choosing to RETURN to school for the 2026 season and will forgo the NFL Draft, per @PeteThamel 🤯
Former Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola recently transferred to Oregon 👀 pic.twitter.com/l68PGn4l7y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 14, 2026
BREAKING: Dante Moore announced he’s returning to Oregon for the 2026 season 🚨
Moore was a projected Top-5 draft pick, according to CBS Sports’ @mikerenner_pic.twitter.com/jYEdd3gR07
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) January 14, 2026
Dante Moore is returning to Oregon (!)
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 14, 2026
QB Dante Moore returning to Oregon for the 2026 season.
Not a major surprise. Only 20 years old and still has a lot of room to develop. Good on him for making the decision that he thought was better for him long-term.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 14, 2026
Awesome (and smart) of Dante Moore to come back to Oregon.
That QB draft class is now … yikes.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 14, 2026
“This is the worst case scenario..now the Jets are back to square one.”@ryanwilsonCBS on how Dante Moore’s decision to return to Oregon affects the Jets pic.twitter.com/ih8TLf78rX
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 14, 2026
I like the decision. He doesn’t turn 21 until May. The threshold a lot of NFL teams use for quarterback prospects is 25 starts—Moore has just 20 under his belt.
Staying should make Dante Moore a better pro. https://t.co/0qNZEVyUkc
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 14, 2026
The key numbers for Dante Moore are 20 and 20. He’s 20 years old, and he’s only made 20 college starts. His year and UCLA and redshirt year have given him an appreciation for development. He’ll have one more season for that at Oregon. https://t.co/UUFO1CCQT6
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2026
The Dante Moore news sends big ripples through the 2026 Draft. Ty Simpson rises to projected QB2 behind Fernando Mendoza. That’ll ripple down to guys like Carson Beck and Drew Allar in that next tier. https://t.co/DekcKGgcE8
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2026
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dante Moore returns to Oregon for 2026 season, delays NFL draft: Reactions
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