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He looks the part, but is he ready?

The Peach Bowl breakdown should confirm Dante Moore's 2026 future originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore has an important decision to make. If he declares for the NFL Draft, many draft analysts project Moore to be a top 5 draft pick. In the history of college football and the NFL Draft, you can count on one hand the number of top 10 projected picks that would’ve been better served returning to college. Despite the lofty draft projection, Dante Moore might be one of those few.

On the surface, Moore is an NFL General Manager’s dream. 6’3, 200 pounds, can create and extend plays with his legs, but is stylistically a pocket passer. At first glance, there is nothing to dislike. Moore is the new prototype QB teams look for.

The issue is not what Moore will be, but what he is right now. Right now, Moore has incredible upside but is not ready for the NFL. A league that in the current era, does not develop quarterbacks well. In the current era, teams and fans expect quarterbacks to be a finished product when they arrive.

In the following breakdown, we’ll examine Moore’s negative plays and there are several of them. Before pointing out the bad, let’s not overlook the good. 4^th down to Benson was a good read and better throw. There were a few impressive throws to Sadiq. His first touchdown which went to Johnson was a great play. Just before the half, Moore made a great throw to a streaking Johnson. There were good plays made, just many more that were not.

First Quarter

15:00 1st & 10 - Opening play pick 6

The cornerback indicated outside leverage on an outbreaking route. Moore threw the ball a tad inside with three defenders converging. The larger concern is that Jeremiah McClellan had already beat his coverage right before Moore threw it to Benson. Had he thrown to McClellan it’s a 20-yard completion at minimum. Instead, it’s a pick 6 to start the game.

HOOSIERS STARTING OFF HOT WITH A PICK-SIX 🔥

Watch the CFP semifinals Field Pass presented by @PatMcAfeeShow on ESPN2 and the ESPN App ➡️ https://t.co/aSnNRo7HER pic.twitter.com/ynb8vmf1De
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 10, 2026

10:10 3rd & 3 - Pocket depth issues

Pocket depth is an issue. Delivers a first down conversion pass just beyond the sticks, but the ball was dangerously close to getting picked off.

7:27 2nd & 12 - Significant overthrow

With a clean pocket, Moore overthrows his receiver by 5 yards with four defenders in the area. Luckily it was not tipped or intercepted.

Second Quarter

9:35 1st & 10 - the Phantom Fumble

This is one of those plays that reveal a lack of reps. As Moore is about to release the ball, he is unaware of the distance between himself and his running back Dierre Hill Jr. The ball collides with Hill's left arm jarring the ball loose. While it’s not a rookie mistake, it is the kind of mistake scouts don't expect to see from a quarterback with 30 or more starts.

DANTE MOORE FUMBLE ➡️ INDIANA TD! pic.twitter.com/gbL1dVkyE4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 10, 2026

6:44 2nd & 3 - Holding the ball too long (i.e. hero ball)

Moore drops to about 10 yards deep, then floats back another four yards. After 5 seconds, the pocket collapses. Admittedly Moore appeared to be waiting for something to open down field. Moore gets wrapped up by two Indiana rushers. Moore must know when to throw that ball away. He's not going to get 7-10 seconds in the pocket against most teams. Certainly not in the NFL.

2:50 2nd & 6 - Not seeing the whole field

The two linemen on Moore's right run a modified twist Moore does not see. Two Oregon offensive linemen focus on one rusher, giving Daniel Ndukwe clear path to Moore. Ndukwe folds Moore's upper body pinning his throwing arm and forcing a fumble. Indiana recovers the fumble.

FORCED FUMBLE ➡️ INDIANA BALL

📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/7WQjErWOT4
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 10, 2026

0:31 2nd & 20 - Video game pocket depth

The play resulted in a significant gain off a screen pass. However, the drop back by Moore is concerning. The initial drop back is deep. He unexpectedly dropped back deeper. When he releases the ball, Moore is almost 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Third Quarter

2:13 1st & 10 - Rushed the throw to the wrong read

Moore takes the shotgun snap and doesn't drift, gave a delayed fake to Hill. Throws a fifteen-yard pass to a contested Sadiq. The ball sails out of bounds. If he throws it 5-8 yards deeper and in bounds, he could've hit Dakorien Moore in stride, which would have resulted in a score.

Fourth Quarter

13:20 3rd & 6 - Must learn to put it where only his guy can get it

Moore takes the shotgun snap and dances around 9 yards deep. D'Angelo Ponds comes on a delayed corner blitz rushing Moore's throw. He misses Jamari Johnson late and is dangerously close to being intercepted again. If the ball was deflected in any way based on placement, there were four Indiana defenders in range ready to take it the other way.

10:22 3rd & 12 - Starring down receivers

Moore stares down Dakorien Moore from the start of the play. He connects with Moore for a gain but did not see Ndukwe coming virtually unblocked off the right side. Had Ndukwe's get off been half a second faster or he threw the ball half a second later, the pass is impacted with two Indiana defenders within range of the passing lane.

Final Assessment

Dante Moore is a supremely talented prospect. Despite how impressive his good passes are or how athletic he seems during certain plays; Moore has shown more than enough to suggest he should not declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Entering the draft this year will not derail his career. However, if the team that drafts him expects him to be a franchise savior in his rookie year, that team is going to be disappointed. In January of 2026 Moore is a year or two away from being a consistent and effective starting quarterback in the NFL.

The new world order of college football should make Moore’s decision very clear. Moore is currently project to make around $3M if he stays at Oregon, with the potential to earn over $5M. The projected NFL salary for a top 5 pick is around $5M. There is no urgency for Moore to enter this draft. Especially considering all of his negative plays seem to be the result of a lack of college starts.

Barring injury or a horrendously bad season, Moore would project to being a top quarterback prospect in 2027. The new landscape of college football is tailor made for the Moore situation. Stay in school and get another 12 starts. Which would put him right around 35 starts which is where NFL GMs begin to feel comfortable about a prospects’ sample size.

If Moore enters the draft, he is likely to go as high as No. 2 and would be viewed by that fanbase as a savior. Despite being years away for the quarterback, he is meant to be.