Oregon Stands by Star Quarterback Despite Season-Ending Concussion

Clear Facts

• Oregon quarterback Dante Moore sustained a concussion during the September 28 game against USC and will not return this season.
• Head coach Dan Lanning confirmed Moore remains on the scout team and is making steady progress toward full recovery.
• Moore had thrown for 925 yards and nine touchdowns with zero interceptions before the injury.

Dan Lanning delivered clear news on Monday about the future of Oregon’s quarterback position. The head coach stated that Dante Moore will not see game action again this year due to the concussion sustained against USC.

Lanning emphasized that the decision rests with medical staff rather than player preference. He praised Moore’s willingness to return if cleared and stressed the long-term priority of a full recovery.

“Really got clarity for us over the past week. I think if it was up to Dante in any shape or way, he would want to be out there playing for the guys,” Lanning said on Monday.

“But unfortunately, it’s not really up to Dante, and it’s not really up to me. We can control the setting of practice where he’s able to do things for us, where that’s not always the case in a game.”

“You know, we said before that this is a serious deal that he’ll 100% be able to make a full recovery from. That has not changed, I definitely feel that way. But for him to be out there on the field for us right now, that’s not going to happen.”

Lanning dismissed any notion that Moore’s absence stems from the team’s three losses. He noted that the quarterback continues to give the Ducks one of their best scout-team looks each week and remains fully engaged with the program.

“We’re getting one of the best scout team looks in practice every week, and he looks good out there,” Lanning mentioned. “This isn’t like a selfish decision on Dante’s part saying ‘I don’t wanna come back, the season doesn’t look the way I want it to look’. That’s not at all what this is.”

The injury has contributed to a difficult stretch for the Ducks. Without Moore, Oregon has posted two more losses and committed seven turnovers in a narrow defeat to UCLA. The team has struggled to establish a consistent running game or effective passing attack behind its backup quarterbacks.

These setbacks prompted head coach Dan Lanning to dismiss offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday. The program now sits at 4-3 and faces the reality of a season that began with high expectations but has produced multiple setbacks.

Moore’s focus now turns to complete recovery ahead of the NFL Draft, where he remains projected as a first-round selection. Oregon will continue its season this weekend against Northwestern while preparing for roster decisions and transfer activity that will shape the 2027 campaign.

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