Oregon QB Dante Moore Delivers Questionable Postseason

Oregon quarterback (QB) Dante Moore was looking good during his first 13 games of the 2025 season.

Then the postseason happened.

These two games by themselves are not enough for me to slide Moore down on my 2027 NFL Draft Board, but they are worth paying close attention to. After all, every piece of information is a piece of each prospect’s puzzle.

Not as confident

Moore just looked different in the postseason than he looked in his previous 13 regular season games.

There was some fear in his eyes that the camera caught before he took his first snap against Texas Tech. That struck me. He looked a little overwhelmed lining up against their relentless defense. Oregon controlled the game from start to finish, winning 23-0, and Moore completed 71.8% of his passes, so I didn’t give it much more thought.

How about against Indiana?

Moore looked less confident.

His first pass attempt was a pick-six, and it didn’t get much better from there (61.5%), as Oregon got thumped, 56-22. He also looked more “rattled” throughout the game. Mainly, he had “happier feet” in the pocket, more so than I recall prior.

Not as aggressive

Moore attacked downfield at will during the regular season, but the offense appeared more conservative in these two games.

What was the result?

His throwing process slowed down from 2.52 seconds in the regular season to 2.65 seconds in these two games (Pro Football Focus). A slower throwing process also resulted in five sacks in these two games, compared to 12 sacks in the first 13 games. Ball security issues also sprung up in these two games. He had several bobbled snaps and a couple of fumbles, and his pass breakups (PBUs) per game also increased from 14 in those 13 games (1.07 per game average) to five in two games (2.50 per game average). He also added two post-season interceptions.

His +20 air yards accuracy also dropped off from 25/47 (53.2%) in the regular season to 2/6 (33.3%) against Texas Tech and Indiana.

Vision?

I questioned Moore’s vision in his 2024 film evaluation when he played for UCLA, and I’m back to questioning it again after watching him in the college football playoffs. I said back then it looked like he had “tunnel vision.”

There were times against Texas Tech and Indiana when it did not look like he was seeing defenders well enough.

There was also a play against Texas Tech when he didn’t see a wide-open tight end downfield on 4th down.

Would the real Moore please stand up?

I put a third-round grade on Moore’s 2023-2024 game film and a first-round grade on his regular-season game film in 2025.

So, which is it?

One more thing…

What’s the real reason Oregon brought in QB Dylan Raiola? Were they also concerned about what they saw in the postseason? Was it to “light a fire” under Moore that he otherwise lacks?

We shall see.

#5 Dante Moore 6-foot-3, 206 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Summer Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a first-round pick as of August 27, 2026

Former NFL Scout Gives QB Dante Moore First Round Grade (2025: 13 games evaluated)

QB Dante Moore Has Tunnel Vision (2023: 9 games evaluated and 2024: 4 games evaluated)

2025-26 game film evaluated: Texas Tech and Indiana (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

High football IQ. Operated out of shotgun formation. Verbal cadence. Looks like a human JUGS machine distributing the football. Directs traffic pre-snap. Athletic. Flexible. Focused. Above-average behind the line of scrimmage mobility. Eyes downfield to a fault. Throws a catchable ball. Above-average placement in the short-to-intermediate route range (0-19 yards). Inconsistent versus pass rush. Fluctuating release times. Feel for soft spots in coverage. Spreads the ball around. Short-term memory with mistakes. Tended to absorb contact as a runner (15 rushing attempts in these two games).

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. Does his confidence level seem consistent?

2. How does he look against ranked teams?

3. Does it look like he’s seeing defenders when he throws?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.