When Dillon Gabriel left Oregon and went for the NFL draft, doubts about Dante Moore were bound. His inexperience in the Oregon system was highlighted, and his UCLA tenure saw him pass at just 55.5% efficiency for 1,610 yards. Cut short to the 2025 season’s start, Dante Moore went against Montana State in 2025. He accumulated 213 passing yards at a stellar 78.3% efficiency, which told a different story. Now, 4 games into the 2025 season, the QB has become the favorite of the analysts, with some prominent analysts predicting the QB as the No. 1 draft pick, and the reasons are many.

Todd McShay appeared on a recent podcast episode with Bill Simmons and discussed the best college QBs. The former ESPN analyst, in the absence of QBs like Cade Klubnik and DJ Lagway performing, touted Dante Moore to be the No. 1 draft pick. “Dante Moore from Oregon is the best passer of the football in all of college football. He he’s he’s an he’s he’s what the NFL is looking for…He reminds like he’s just a smooth criminal throwing the ball. He’s got some parts like Jordan Love. He’s got some aspects of CJ Stroud at his best. He’s got some Baker Mayfield to him,” announced McShay. Not just that, the analyst, while cautious about predicting QBs this early, didn’t hold back his true feelings on Dante Moore.

“If you’re asking me right now, based on a tiny sample size and four starts at Oregon, I think he’s tracking to be the number one overall pick if things continue to play out,” said McShay. Dante Moore’s arm talent is truly phenomenal to watch this season. He throws those 40+ yard deep balls accurately, finds receivers on the move, and is a smart scrambler, as we saw against Oregon State. At 6’3″ and 206 lbs, Moore isn’t your Cam Newton-type QB, but he uses his frame effectively and navigates the pocket with high IQ. Of course, the sample size is small and against weaker teams, but the plays are pure NFL level.

Take, for example, Moore’s touchdown pass to his cousin, freshman Dakorien Moore, on man coverage against Oklahoma State. It was a perfectly executed effort in a short-yardage situation, showcasing his threat in the red zone. Then there was a deep,  49-yard TD pass against Oregon State to Gary Bryant Jr after he beat a safety to throw inch-perfect passes. The instances surely promise a lot, and despite Oregon facing Penn State followed by Indiana next, most expectedly, the performances won’t drop much. That said, Moore’s declaration for the NFL draft hinges on a weird possibility.

Oregon, so far, has played four games against relatively weaker teams and won them all. Moore, though, doesn’t discriminate; he has been slinging those passes like playing in his backyard. The QB passed for 266 yards against Oklahoma State and followed it with a 178-yard outing at 80% efficiency at Northwestern. His most recent game against Oregon State saw him finally pass for 305 yards, showing incredible arm talent and pocket awareness.

Dante Moore’s 2026 NFL draft decision depends on his OC, Will Stein

Dante Moore might be looking like the real deal, but he is still a redshirt sophomore and may choose to wait another season to declare for the NFL draft. However, that may change if his offensive coordinator and QBs coach, Will Stein, leaves Oregon for a head coaching job. Why? Stein is the main man behind the QBs’ development, as evidenced by his earlier finds like Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel. So, if Stein leaves, the QB could surely declare for the draft. Currently, Stein is trending towards the UCLA head coaching job after DeShaun Foster’s firing, and may coach Oregon’s former Pac-12 and current Big 10 rivals.

“He (Dante Moore) reminds me so much of Jordan Love, the smoothness and the efficiency with which he plays. He’s very smooth. Like him, you watch him be like, “Okay, that, and then he made some throws two weeks ago, pushing the ball down the field on the right side. He throws a go ball to put him up going into the half. I’m like this, that might be the best throw that I’ve seen…He is the best quarterback in college football right now,” said former Jalen Hurts’ QBs coach Quincy Avery in a recent interview. Not just that, he credited Will Stein for Dante Moore’s development.

“Will Stein does a really good job. It’s not NFL style, so I don’t put him in that same class, but he’s a great coordinator. He does a really good job for those guys,” said Avery. But let’s assume Will Stein goes to UCLA in December as predicted, won’t Dante Moore follow him there?

Probably not! Since UCLA would be in its rebuilding phase, and Moore would be entering probably his last season in college football. He won’t want to diminish his chances with a weaker roster, even if Will Stein were there. Moreover, since he left UCLA on a transfer after the 2023 season, it would be almost ironic to join them again. The only option then remains, declaring for the NFL draft. However, if Moore continues this prolific form, those 1st round and even 1st overall pick projections will become more intense week after week.