Oregon QB Moore Out for 2026 Season
17 sourcesUpdated Oct 29, 20261 min read
Oregon coach Dan Lanning announced on Oct. 26 that quarterback Dante Moore will not return for the rest of the 2026 season after a concussion suffered Sept. 26. USC's Desman Stephens II hit Moore in the head on a late play as Moore slid after a scramble in Oregon's 41-27 win in Los Angeles. Moore was down several minutes, stretchered off, and taken from the stadium by ambulance. Lanning said the team got clarity in the past week. "If it was up to Dante, in any shape, way, he would want to be out there playing for the guys, but unfortunately, it's not really up to Dante. It's not really up to me," Lanning said. He said practice can be controlled in ways games cannot and that he expects Moore to make a full recovery while giving strong scout-team looks. Before the injury Moore threw for 926 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions in four games after returning rather than enter the NFL draft as a potential top-10 pick. Dylan Raiola has started since. Oregon is 4-3 after opening at No. 2 and dropping from the AP Top 25; offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer was fired after a loss to Illinois. Moore has one season of eligibility remaining.
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Center· 4 sources
“Dante Moore not anticipated to make Oregon football return in 2026”Right· 2 sources
Medical clearance needs to stay with the doctors, not the player or even the coach.
Those four games showed he could be special, but now the backups have to step up fast.
Losing Moore this early really sets Oregon back in the Pac-12 race this year.
