Dante Moore Chooses NIL Over NFL

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced he will spend another year in Eugene on Wednesday.

Moore was widely predicted to be the No. 2 overall selection behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the NFL Draft should he declare, which would’ve landed him with the Jets. He went on SportsCenter to announce his decision on Wednesday afternoon.

“Even this year, I had many great throws, many great plays, but at the end of the day I feel like I could still learn so much more,” Moore said. “Of course, as a kid, since four years old, I’ve dreamed about being in the NFL. But of course this team, we’ve been through a lot and a lot of people are returning, so I feel like we’ve got exciting things coming this year, and I’m excited to keep pushing my team.” 

Moore, 20, will return to a more crowded quarterback room since Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola recently announced his transfer to Oregon. Moore is still expected to be the starter over Raiola, who has two years of eligibility remaining.

Oregon’s season ended last week with a blowout loss to Indiana in the CFP semifinals.

Moore would have signed a handsome deal if he had gone to the Jets; last year’s No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, has more than $46 million guaranteed on his contract, and that number is anticipated to climb for this year’s second pick. Wednesday was the final day for a player who is not participating in the CFP title game to declare for the draft, which starts April 23 in Pittsburgh.

This season was Moore’s first as a starter for the Ducks. He played the 2023 season at UCLA before transferring to Oregon, where he backed up now-Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel.