Dante Moore had a massive decision to make this offseason. He could choose to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, where he’d likely be the second quarterback off the board, or stay in college for another year so he can develop and help Oregon win a National Championship next season.

After a lot of thought, Moore elected to return to college for one more season. It’s a risk. Anytime you’re almost guaranteed to be the No. 2 pick in the draft, it’s incredibly risky to go back to college. All it takes is an injury or a bad season to lose you a lot of money, but it could end up working out for the better.

His decision doesn’t just affect him, though. It affects a lot of other people as well. Here are 10 winners and losers from Moore’s decision to return to college.

Winner: Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are probably the biggest winners from Moore’s decision. They get their QB1, who just led them to the College Football Playoffs “Elite Eight,” back for another season. Dan Lanning has been building the Ducks towards a National Championship for years now, and to be frank, I wouldn’t have felt good about their quarterback situation with Dylan Raiola next year. Getting Moore back will keep them within striking distance of the National Championship game. Now it’s up to Lanning to get over his big-game woes.

Loser: New York Jets

The New York Jets were in the perfect place to select Moore and get their quarterback of the future. They own the No. 2 pick, and by getting Moore, they wouldn’t have to give up any future assets in 2027 to get their guy. Now, it looks like they’ll have to, unless they’re a bottom-two team in the league again next year. Moore was going to be a project, but he would be 21 years old at the start of next season, so there would’ve been no rush to start him right away. At least they can just go with the best player available now, because this draft class is loaded with talent at the top.

Winner: Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza was almost guaranteed to be the first pick in the draft, but with Moore gone, I would bet a lot of money that he’s going first. He’s always been the more pro-ready quarterback between the two, but Moore has more upside. He’s younger, more mobile and has a stronger arm. He just lacks the experience Mendoza has. If the Las Vegas Raiders wanted to take a big swing, they could’ve taken Moore over Mendoza. Now, there’s no option other than Fernando.

Loser: 2027 QB Class

The 2027 quarterback class are definitely losers here. This class was already shaping up to be great, but with Moore coming back, it just adds more talent, and therefore more competition, to the mix. Arch Manning, Sam Leavitt, Julian Sayin, LaNorris Sellers, DJ Lagway, Gunnar Stockton, Jayden Maiava, Brendon Sorsby and others (including Trinidad Chambliss?) are all expected to declare next year, so Moore’s return will bump quite a few of them down a spot.

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Winner: Trinidad Chambliss

Speaking of Trinidad Chambliss, he’s a big winner from Moore’s decision to return. Chambliss wants to return to college, but if he can’t, he’s going to be a hot name in the NFL Draft. With Moore out of the way, his competition for QB2 will be Ty Simpson, and I think it’s pretty clear that Chambliss would be the more sought-after prospect. Not only that, but if he does return to college, Moore’s decision might ramp up Chambliss’ price tag. With the potential to be the second quarterback off the board, Chambliss could try to get more money out of Ole Miss to return. Anyway you shape it, Chambliss wins from Moore’s decision.

Loser: Dylan Raiola

Dylan Raiola might be the only bigger loser than the Jets in this situation. He just transferred to Oregon, presumably to be their starter in 2026 before declaring for the draft in 2027, but now he’ll have to wait a year. He definitely knew this was a possibility when he transferred to Oregon, but to go from a starter to backup AFTER transferring has to hurt. It may end up being best for his development, but it will delay his NFL dreams a year.

Winner: Second-Tier QBs

The second-tier quarterbacks in 2026 are big winners from Moore’s decision. Ty Simpson, and possibly Trinidad Chambliss, especially. One or both of those two will end up being first-round picks just because of the need at quarterback, and the others behind them, like Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar, will all receive a bump as well. Every quarterback behind Moore in this draft just made a little bit more money with his decision to return.

Loser: Arch Manning

We talked about the 2027 draft class as big losers, but let’s talk about Arch Manning specifically. He’s the favorite to go No. 1 overall next year, but his competition just got a lot stiffer. Moore is the more experienced quarterback, and with another year under his belt, he very well could surpass Manning for that No. 1 pick status. Plus, Moore is just one more challenger for the Heisman Trophy in 2026.

Winner: Big 10

The Big 10 are big winners here. They’re currently on a run of National Champions, and will likely add to it with Indiana in just a few days. Plus, Oregon is a huge brand. When they’re good, and they’re going to be with Moore under center again, TV ratings are through the roof, and that just means more money for the conference. Moore’s return gives the Big 10 a better chance to win it all again in 2027 and will help them in TV negotiations in the future.

Loser: NFL Media

Our final loser from Dante Moore’s return to Oregon is the NFL media. And yes, unfortunately, that includes us at EssentiallySports. The NFL Draft discourse just got a whole lot less interesting, at least at the top. If Moore entered, there’d at least be somewhat of a conversation as to who should go first overall, but now it’s going to be all about Mendoza.

But at least that means the other prospects will get their shine.