Oregon QB Dante Moore to sit out rest of 2026 with concussion

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will not play again this season because of a concussion, coach Dan Lanning said Monday.

Moore was hurt in the second quarter of the Sept. 26 game against Southern California after a late hit by USC linebacker Desman Stephens II. He was taken by ambulance to Los Angeles General Medical Center. Oregon said his MRI and CT scans came back clean, but he sustained a concussion. He has missed the past three games and has not been medically cleared to return.

Before the injury, Moore had thrown for 926 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 69.7% of his passes. Lanning said Moore wanted to return. "If it was up to Dante in any shape, way, he would be out there playing for the guys," Lanning said. "This isn't a selfish decision on Dante's part, saying, 'I don't want to come back, the season doesn't look the way I want it to look.' That's not at all what this is." Moore has thrown at practice in recent weeks, but the coaching staff chose not to rush him back.

The Ducks are 1-2 without Moore and have scored under 20 points in each of those games. Third-string quarterback Brock Thomas and backup Dylan Raiola have split starts. Oregon lost 21-10 to Illinois on Oct. 25, and the Ducks fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer the next day.

On Monday night, Lanning said offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson will handle playcalling. Johnson joined Oregon this season and has coached in college since 1994, with prior stops as offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Michigan State.

Moore began his college career at UCLA in 2023, transferred to Oregon, and spent the 2024 season backing up starter Dillon Gabriel. In 2025, he threw for 30 touchdowns and 3,565 yards while completing 71% of his passes, and Oregon finished 13-2. He had been projected as a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft before returning for his senior season.

Oregon's next game follows its Oct. 25 loss to Illinois, with Johnson calling plays.