Oregon: Dan Lanning's Controversial Final Decision at QB Before Nebraska Game
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The Oregon Ducks had a quarterback controversy brewing before their contest on Saturday night against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
With Dante Moore still recovering from a concussion he suffered in Oregon's 41-27 win over USC on Sept. 26, Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola and senior quarterback Brock Thomas had a battle this week for the opportunity to start against the Cornhuskers.
Per Pete Nakos of On3, the Ducks will turn to Thomas to start against Nebraska. The decision to start Thomas comes after Moore has cleared the concussion protocol and has been throwing in practice with pads on this week.
Raiola had an electric performance against USC when he came into the game to relieve Moore, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. After the bye, he struggled against the UCLA Bruins, going 19 of 43 passing for 43 yards and two interceptions before being benched for Thomas.
Thomas finished the 17-15 loss to UCLA going 11 of 15 passing for 156 yards and one touchdown.
It's unclear why Moore was ruled out for Saturday's game via the Big Ten availability report despite the quarterback having passed the concussion protocol.
Moore returned to Eugene to gain experience as a two-year starter at the college level before going to the NFL, where he was expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2027 draft, if not the top quarterback.
Had he entered the 2026 draft, he would have likely been a top-5 pick and the second quarterback taken behind Fernando Mendoza.
Earlier this week, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning hinted that changes were coming for the offense after only scoring 15 points against UCLA in Week 6. Oregon has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball this season.
Maybe Thomas can provide a spark for the Ducks against Nebraska. With a 3-2 record, Oregon has its back against the wall when playing the Cornhuskers. The Ducks have no margin for error if they hope to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Thomas has been with Oregon since 2023. The five-foot-11, 182-pound quarterback has thrown for 302 yards and two interceptions in his college career.
It remains to be seen how long of a leash Lanning will give Thomas. If he has issues against Nebraska, Lanning likely won't hesitate to put in Raiola, who would be eager to lead Oregon to a win over his former team.
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