Two days after a scary hit forced him off the field in Los Angeles, Dante Moore finally gave Oregon fans and his teammates the message they were praying for. The Ducks quarterback broke his silence on Monday with an emotional Instagram update about his recovery process. While he did not set a firm date for his return, his post brought instant relief across the locker room.

Heading into Oregon’s bye week, Moore took to social media to thank the medical staff, fans, and his brothers in uniform. He shared a Bible verse that has been keeping his spirits high during the uncertainty, letting everyone know that his mind is focused on getting healthy one day at a time.

“To my team, the community, and to the world, thank you,” Moore wrote on Instagram on September 29. “These past 2 days have been very difficult, but through all of your prayers I have made progress. There’s times I question myself and the Lord and say Why now? But I quickly remember Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ I can only worry about today and making sure I give today its full attention. I’ll be back soon. Go Ducks!”

The update comes after Moore suffered a concussion during Saturday’s game against USC at the Coliseum. After taking a heavy hit while sliding on a scramble, the quarterback was evaluated on the field by medical staff and transported to a local hospital for precautionary tests.

Oregon confirmed on Sunday that Moore suffered a concussion, though his MRI and CT scans came back clean with no additional injuries found. Coach Dan Lanning said the team would move forward “with an abundance of caution” rather than rush the timeline for the Ducks’ quarterback.

Before the hit, Moore had been playing like a true Heisman contender, throwing for 926 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception through four games. Losing him even temporarily is a real blow to the team with national championship aspirations.

The hit drew plenty of heat toward USC linebacker Desman Stephens II, who was immediately ejected for targeting and later suspended for a game by his own program after celebrating on the sideline while Moore was still down. Though Stephens later issued a public apology, the backlash followed him. Moore’s update gave fans something better to focus on, as the comments under his post were full of support and love from his own locker room.

Wide receiver Evan Stewart, back this season after missing 2025 with a torn patellar tendon, expressed support. “We love you 5!” Stewart commented.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Akili Smith Jr., a four-star recruit who is developing under Dan Lanning and QB coach Koa Ka’ai, also extended his support for the Ducks’ quarterback.

“Love you 5,” Smith commented with a heart emoji and prayer symbol.

Junior quarterback Dylan Raiola, who previously played for Nebraska, also echoed his teammates’ sentiment, commenting, “Love you 5!”. He currently serves as the backup QB behind Dante Moore and saw significant gameplay, including a perfect 11-for-11 debut with three touchdowns against Portland State and a key performance in the 41-27 victory over USC after Moore was injured.

Kicker Atticus Sappington added “strong warrior keep stacking 5,” with a heart emoji, while freshman receiver Messiah Hampton commented “dub love 5” with flying heart emojis.

Freshman safety Jett Washington, a 5-star recruit from Bishop German High School in Las Vegas, also shared a similar sentiment, commenting, “my brudda” to show his support for Moore. Ranked No. 1 in safety and top-25 nationally by 247Sports, he is expected to make a strong impact with his rare speed-size combination under defensive coordinator Chris Hampton.

Starting center and team captain Lapani Laloulu, who is the anchor of the offensive line, commented “LOVE YOU BOY!” with a fingers-crossed and heart emoji.

For a locker room that rallied around its quarterback in the middle of a road win, seeing Moore go down hit harder. Now, Oregon has a bye week to let Moore work through the concussion protocol before the Ducks host UCLA on October 10.