Dante Moore’s 2026 Season Ends Abruptly After Concussion

WHO:

ESPN - Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Dante Moore would remain a major part of the team.

ESPN - Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have both started at quarterback in Moore’s absence.

ESPN - Oregon fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and assigned offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson to call plays.

ESPN - Johnson is in his first year with Oregon and has coached in college since 1994; he most recently was offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Michigan State.

ESPN - Moore began his college career at UCLA, transferred to Oregon, and became Oregon’s starter after sitting behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024.

Newsweek - Dante Moore is the quarterback discussed in the article.

Sportskeeda - NFL fans reacted to Dante Moore’s season ending.

WHAT:

ESPN - Moore entered the season as a preseason Heisman Trophy contender, while Oregon was ranked No. 2 in the AP preseason poll and had national championship aspirations.

ESPN - Moore’s 2023 UCLA stats included 1,610 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in his first six games; he was then replaced by backup Ethan Garbers.

ESPN - Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Moore’s injury was a serious issue from which he would “100% be able to fully recover,” and said Moore had not been medically cleared.

ESPN - Lanning said Moore returned to practice and threw the ball in recent weeks, but the team never shared a return timeline and would not rush his recovery.

ESPN - Lanning said Oregon received clarity on Moore’s status during the week and that the decision was “out of their territory” because the team could control his practice environment but not the conditions of a game.

ESPN - Lanning said Moore would play for his teammates if the choice were his, adding that his absence was not a selfish decision.

ESPN - Moore had a 69.7% completion rate, 926 passing yards, nine touchdown passes, and zero interceptions in four games before his injury.

ESPN - Moore’s MRI and CT scans came back clean after the team announced he had a concussion.

ESPN - Oregon scored fewer than 20 points in each of the three games Moore missed; the team lost two of them.

ESPN - Oregon’s 21-10 loss to Illinois effectively ended its chances of reaching the College Football Playoff for a third straight year.

ESPN - In 2025, Moore led Oregon to a 13-2 record, throwing for 3,565 yards with a 71% completion rate and 30 touchdowns.

ESPN - ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Moore 25th among prospects in the upcoming NFL draft; ESPN analysts had projected him as a top-three pick in the 2026 draft.

NY Post - Moore resumed practicing but remained in the concussion protocol.

IJR - Moore threw for 926 yards and 9 touchdowns in four games.

IJR - Oregon announced Moore will miss the rest of the 2026 season.

IJR - Dan Lanning said clearance to play in the Oct. 26 game was not up to Moore or him.

Newsweek - Moore has been out of play since suffering a concussion against the USC Trojans.

Sportskeeda - Moore’s 2026 season ended abruptly after a concussion.

Sportskeeda - Fans expressed disappointment and said Moore may have taken a significant blow to his draft stock.

Sportskeeda - Fans’ reactions included: “Screwed his career” and “Should’ve just gone to the draft last year.”

WHERE:

ESPN - Moore was taken by ambulance to Los Angeles General Medical Center after the USC game for evaluation.

Newsweek - Moore suffered the concussion while playing against the USC Trojans.

WHEN:

Newsweek - Moore had been out since Sept. 26.

WHY:

Newsweek - Moore’s absence followed a concussion suffered against the USC Trojans.

Sportskeeda - The articles attribute the end of Moore’s season to a concussion.

HOW:

ESPN - Moore was hit by USC linebacker Desman Stephens II in the second quarter while attempting to slide after scrambling.

NY Post - Moore was concussed on a late hit.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will miss the rest of the season after a concussion, with coach Dan Lanning saying Moore has not been cleared to play and will fully recover. Before the injury, Moore completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 926 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception, but Oregon has scored fewer than 20 points in each of the three games he has missed and lost two. Oregon fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and handed play-calling duties to Jay Johnson, while Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have started at quarterback; Moore is expected to remain an important part of the team.