It appears that Oregon’s Dante Moore would much rather be a Duck than a Jet.
The quarterback who led Oregon to a College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals appearance this year announced on Wednesday that he intends to return to lead the Ducks again in 2026.
Moore had been mocked as high as a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with most mock drafts having him headed to New York to become the next quarterback of the Jets.
While the prospect of going to the Jets would be enough to cause many players to consider staying in school, there is also a belief that Moore’s rough outing against the Hoosiers in the semifinal round convinced him that another year in Eugene may prove beneficial.
Moore’s decision stands in stark contrast to the route taken by former Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who, after a likewise poor performance against the Hoosiers, decided to declare for the NFL draft.
Now, with Moore off the board, the question of who is the best QB in the draft after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza becomes even more interesting.
While Simpson has declared, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss is suing the NCAA for a 6th year of eligibility. Should Chambliss win his case, he will return to Oxford, and Simpson will, in all likelihood, be the second QB on the boards. If Chambliss loses his case, teams will have a very interesting decision to make between Simpson and Chambliss.
Unlike Moore and Simpson, Chambliss was extremely impressive in the CFP.
