Our Oregon Football program has had some MAJOR wins as of late. Evan Stewart, Gary Bryant Jr., and Dakorien “Metro” Moore were all spotted at practice this week in limited action. That bodes extremely well for the Ducks’ postseason hopes and gives the offense a much better chance to stretch the field against some of the best defenses in the country.
As much as we’ll thoroughly enjoy all these playmakers returning to the field, that also means QB1 Dante Moore is going to absolutely light it up in the College Football Playoff, which may lead to him declaring early for the NFL Draft. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his study of the best online casino site in Canada to express the dilemma Dante and Ducks have.
Is that the right choice? Have we seen enough from Dante this year for early NFL success to be on the table, or would another year in college be good for him? In my eyes, it comes down to a few key elements of Moore’s game, as well as trends we’ve seen for young quarterbacks in the NFL.
Bo Nix had a full collegiate career at Auburn and Oregon before he entered the NFL—photo via Craig Strobeck
Single-Season Starter Quarterbacks Rarely Succeed Early in the NFL
History has shown us that players with only a year-long resume (12-16 games starting) of experience at the college level often struggle early in their NFL careers. Regardless of if it’s mediocre tape or the best tape of all time, experience is an undeniable necessity for 99% of quarterback prospects.
Now, for Moore, I love what I’ve seen over the last few games to close out the year. His poise is uncanny, his arm talent is elite, his deep ball placement continues to get better, and I have no doubts his ceiling is extraordinarily high at the next level. However, he’s only thrown 534 passes in college. Bo Nix had 1,936 pass attempts as the 12th overall pick for the Denver Broncos. Justin Herbert had 1,293 pass attempts as the 6th pick for the Chargers. The pair now have a combined 22-6 record in 2025, and if Dante is going to replicate that success, I really think he needs another year with Oregon.
It’s entirely his decision, of course, and you don’t want to waste an opportunity to be a projected top-five pick. Remember: Marcus Mariota was met with this same decision a decade ago. He easily could have gone to the league before he won a Heisman Trophy and the first-ever College Football Playoff game. Staying for his senior season not only helped his stock rise—he was the second pick overall in the draft. Conflicting reports have sprouted up all over the past few weeks on which way Dante’s leaning, but to me, the only thing it really hinges on is the College Football Playoff.
Despite a tough Rose Bowl loss, even making the College Football Playoff shot Dillon Gabriel up draft boards—photo via Eric Becker
College Football Playoff Success Always Skyrockets Draft Stock
If the Ducks win their first championship this year, there’s an almost zero-percent chance that Dante sticks around. Uncle Phil could write an enormous check, though I think Dante would just have to ride that wave of hype to be first overall, no questions asked. Alternatively, players have also come back and TANKED their draft stock the following season. Carson Beck and Drew Allar are unfortunate examples of going from higher in the draft to a late-round pick, courtesy of a rocky final season.
The NFL leash is getting shorter and shorter for young quarterbacks, especially for immediate starters. The Peyton Mannings of the world can’t go out and lead the league in picks as rookies anymore, just to go on and develop into a Hall of Fame player. Fundamentally, this is largely because of how the process has changed. 7-on-7 camps start before you even learn algebra. Youth quarterback specialists make more than some doctors. Backup quarterbacks get paid upwards of $8 million a year on average in 2025.
Once you become the face of the franchise, that’s your only shot now, usually. Very few players, like Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold, get the opportunity to flourish on new teams. Darnold was only 20 when he got drafted and was clearly not experienced enough yet. He’s since done some GREAT things, as has Baker. I would credit the majority of the blame to poorly run franchises rather than the player, which just doesn’t end up on the stat sheet. If we can avoid it, I’d rather Dante not be put in that spot where he’s forced to take over a struggling team and start his first NFL game three months after turning 21.
Still, we have to entertain the possibility of Moore declaring for the NFL Draft to determine what it would mean for both Dante and the Oregon football program as a whole.
I need one more season of THIS—photo via FishDuck Football Pictures
Overall: Stick Around for the Sake of Dan And Dante
The top of this upcoming year’s draft is extremely interesting, as most teams would probably trade out of their slot if a quarterback-needy team gave them a good offer. The Tennessee Titans have their guy, as do the Giants. I was hoping a team like the Los Angeles Rams would be ready to trade up for Dante, but with Matthew Stafford being the runaway MVP right now, the Raiders are a more likely landing spot where Moore’s mocked as the second overall pick.
For Dante, I cannot wait to see him succeed in the NFL. I just think it’s another year away. Pending the College Football Playoff results, I’m expecting Moore to be back for one more year with Dan Lanning and his next OC, Drew Mehringer. Sure, that does open the door for his stock to drop. I just would take that bet nine times out of ten due to the value experience provides to succeed at the next level and how GREAT Oregon is as a program for producing NFL QB talent. You never make the big bucks on your first contract as a QB in the NFL. Herbert had to prove it first to be a $265 million dollar man. Nix will too. Even Mariota is still winning games today as a backup, and that $8 million average backup quarterback salary isn’t so bad either. I see a future Super Bowl win(s) for Dante when he inevitably goes to the league.
Now: three starting quarterbacks from Oregon in the same division? I LOVE the sound of that for Oregon’s recruiting. I already expect a talented QB from a tough situation to transfer to the Ducks this offseason, though I would also love to see Austin Novosad, Luke Moga, or Akili Smith Jr. get a crack at the starting job. The bottom line is Lanning will make sure the Ducks are not only fine but reloaded for 2026. The next Oregon quarterback will play in the College Football Playoff just like Moore. It really comes down to what Dante wants and what’s best for him.
What do you think, Oregon fans? Should Dante come back for another season? Do you expect the Ducks to get another transfer QB if Moore declares for the NFL Draft? How much will Dante’s College Football Playoff performance impact his draft stock? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
GO DUCKS!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Eric Becker
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.