Our Oregon football program didn’t waste any time bouncing back from a crushing College Football Playoff loss to Indiana on Friday. They’ve jumped into transfer portal action to replace key positions, as a significant portion of the roster’s depth has been depleted on offense, defense, and special teams. Monday’s haul was highlighted by landing one of the top-ranked quarterback transfers: Dylan Raiola.
As Raiola joins the Ducks for 2026 and beyond, Oregon’s young roster is now set to have two developing sophomore quarterbacks surrounded by elite skill position players. While some upperclassmen have yet to declare for the NFL Draft at the time of writing this, we can expect those returning players to continue to impact roster turnover over the next few weeks. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his study of the best Visa casino payments to note some of the big moves already happening for Our Beloved Ducks.
On offense, the two biggest impact players that haven’t declared at the time of writing this are Kenyon Sadiq (TE) and Dante Moore (QB). I would almost guarantee Sadiq to enter the NFL Draft this week, which leaves Moore as the massive question mark of 2026. Most of us assumed that Oregon was going to be passed over by younger quarterbacks who were looking to transfer due to Dante’s delay in declaring. Instead, Oregon still managed to land a top prospect with tons of potential left to develop. Leave it to Dan Lanning to still come out on top in recruiting with both coordinators out the door and an embarrassing CFP loss at the front of everyone’s minds.
So, how should we grade this signing? Where does Raiola land on the depth chart if Moore does stick around? Does he threaten Dante’s NFL Draft stock?
Remember how everyone felt when Bo Nix transferred to Oregon? – Photo via Harry Caston
Dylan Raiola’s Transfer Grade: B
At face value: This is a great stash move. Good experience, B1G Conference pedigree, and high-end athleticism with the ability to develop at a high level. When healthy, Raiola was completing 72% of his throws and clearly has a big arm built for vertical passing offenses. For an offense that’ll have a new look in 2026 without Will Stein at the helm, I love what Drew Mehringer has been loaded up with to kick off his first year calling plays, especially given Lanning’s track record for hiring offensive coordinators.
As for Raiola in that system, how he comes back from his broken fibula is going to be huge. Red flags surrounding his commitments/decommitments are worth noting as well. I just don’t think he was ever supported fully, and at Oregon, he’ll have the perfect opportunity to become a top NFL Draft prospect. He will also be afforded the opportunity to find his own identity. Considering how well Oregon quarterbacks have panned out in the NFL over the last decade, it’s a great career move for him, and I think his ceiling is similar to Dante’s as a Duck. He’ll have elite tools and resources to elevate his game and take the next step in seasons ahead.
What I’m most worried about with this transfer is how it could affect Dante mentally. This is his job; there’s no doubting that. He’s a massive talent and had an outstanding first year as a starter with the Ducks. I would expect him to spend most of his junior season as a Heisman favorite. I just can’t get this out of my head: If he does stick around (which seems less and less likely), how would he play with Raiola on his heels? Does HE believe this is his job to lose? Are we sure Raiola sees this as a year to sit out? If Dante had a bad half in a big game, would Dan pull the trigger and bench him?
I know that a good part of Friday’s performance against the Hoosiers could be explained by a lack of continuity on offense and the moment being too big, but I still don’t think one or two first-half plays would have changed the outcome of that game. With Raiola on the roster, though? I don’t know if Dante would have played as much as he did. We might have seen a change (even a brief one) after the RPO fumble to settle Dante’s nerves.
For the team, this is a great signing and a shrewd move by Dan. Clearly what Lanning saw in the room currently wasn’t enough to avoid the portal entirely at quarterback, and all the other top prospects would want to be the guaranteed starter. So Lanning needed a sure thing at QB1 while Dante made his decision. For the future, I do hope that this indicates Oregon will continue to move away from single-season starters. The mercenary-like approach isn’t going away in college football, I just retain the old-school mentality of building and developing from within, especially at the most important position in the sport. Dillon Gabriel should be an exception rather than the rule.
Will Dante Moore declare? – Photo via Max Unkrich
How Dylan Raiola’s Transfer Impacts Dante Moore’s NFL Draft Decision
As for Dante, I worry about his future. I already think he’s jumping the gun if he enters the NFL with under 20 college starts, which has rarely worked for others in the past (Anthony Richardson, Mitch Trubisky, Trey Lance, etc.). Now we’re kind of in no-man’s land. With Raiola in the room, the pressure is just amplified even more and could majorly influence a life-changing decision for Dante to hit the NFL Draft early. Both quarterbacks are 20 years old in the same class, so seniority is solely based on time with the Ducks, and now that Stein’s out? This will be at least a partially new offense for both players to learn. I don’t think Dante’s draft stock took too big a hit in the semifinal game against Indiana (especially considering how weak the QB class is this year), though being potentially replaced/losing time to another junior would be an insurmountable hit that could cause issues in the locker room.
I love Dan, and I love Dante; I just don’t get this one.
Am I totally off on this? How would you grade this signing? Do you think the Ducks signing Raiola increases or decreases Dante’s likelihood of going to the NFL Draft this offseason? Can you see a world where Raiola learns the 2026 offense a bit quicker than expected and earns significant playing time? Let us know your thoughts in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
GO DUCKS!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo: Via Twitter (UnnecRoughness)
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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.