The best defenders in NFL have the ability to keep things simple. The great irony is that this is not the case. This is the product of an extremely talented man who has repeated many times to feel the confidence that comes with mastery of his craft. This combination will immediately shine as soon as you see it.
In five weeks college football No quarterback has exuded that quality more this season than Oregon Dante Moore. In just his ninth career start, Moore hit the Penn State whiteout and defeated the third team in the country. He has completely surpassed I drew everything at the same time, and only once all day, he put the ball in jeopardy as a result of a two-point conversion in overtime.
While Moore's talent has been evident since he was drafted fourth overall, for 247Sportin the 2023 class, his path to being a potential QB1 in 2026. NFL Draft nowadays it is a road that few people take.
Moore began his career in UCLAwhere he started five games as a true freshman under Chip Kelly. Following Kelly's departure after that season, Moore entered the transfer portal.
Instead of looking for a guaranteed starting job, Moore opted for the Ducks, who had already poached Dillon Gabriel away from Oklahoma be their starter. It was a path reminiscent of the one Kyler Murray took it. Arizona Cardinals the defender was himself a rookie in the starting lineup Texas A&Mbut after this season he decided to transfer to Oklahoma, despite Baker Mayfield being a recognized starter. After two seasons on the bench, Murray's game transformed as he became the nation's top quarterback and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The year off served Moore just as well, as he developed into a completely different defender than the last time we saw him. The brilliant arm talent and athleticism are obviously still there, but Moore's newfound equanimity in the pocket has been an eye-opener. Under pressure this season, he is averaging 8.8 yards per attempt with no interceptions and has the second-highest pressure sack conversion rate in the country (3.2%). From a valuation standpoint, this is the Holy Grail.
As I've said before, that kind of calm only comes with skill, and it's clear on film that Moore's mechanics are already elite. Whether it's effortless, repeatable movements or precise footwork, Moore's dedication to his craft is obvious. The view below perfectly illustrates what I'm talking about. He lines up his feet at the top of the drop to throw the ball, stops midway when he realizes the linebacker has jumped over him, and immediately returns to the perfect position to throw the ball coming behind him.
It's like Tiger Woods stopping halfway when the phone rings: he makes it look easy, but it's really not that easy. There are starting guards on the roster. NFL who can't do what Moore did above without getting scared of his feet. And that was in the first week.
I want to say again that there are only five games left in the season. Moore still has plenty of testing to do before the first round is possible, including an eighth-place finish. Indiana in a couple of weeks, as well as a likely Big Ten Championship game and College football Playoff race.
However, in those five games, he had very little reason to worry about passing those tests. And he definitely showed the best level of physical ability.
Watching how easily he pushes the ball down the field, Moore can't help but conjure up images of Jayden Daniels V LSU. With seemingly little effort, the ball flies out of his hands more than 50 yards downfield.
That's how you need the best player at the quarterback position to get him going. This is an athlete who could have excelled in many sports but chose to focus on quarterback. This is someone who can be developed even further at the next level.
Of course, the rush to declare someone the “next big thing” in today's era of instant gratification has led to some disconcerting rumors about the prospects. No one has yet crowned Moore, as evidenced by his +700 odds to go No. 1 overall. Bookmaker DraftKings.
Chances are, few of the top quarterbacks have played impressively enough to even be considered a No. 1 overall pick by season's end. Indiana Fernando Mendoza one. Oklahoma John Mateer was different before the injury. After this, Moore may be the only person left.
And if he improves on what we've seen from him in five weeks this season and doesn't have a single regressive game, I'll pick him.
Odds for No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
| Player | School | Chances |
|---|---|---|
| LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina | +300 |
| Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | +360 |
| Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | +500 |
| I drew everything | Penn State | +600 |
| Dante Moore | Oregon | +700 |
| John Mateer | Oklahoma | +1000 |
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Dante Moore NFL Draft profile
CBS Prospect Rankings: No. 6 overall (No. 2 WR)
Consensus rating on the big board (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 7 overall (No. 4 QB)
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NFL comparison: Deshaun Watson
There is no good individual matchup for Moore's skill set. Aesthetically he reminds me of Jayden Daniels, but he is nowhere near that level of athlete. From a playing style perspective, Deshaun Watson early in his career makes a lot of sense. Moore is a playmaker with his hands and feet who exudes confidence in his style of play. That's how Watson handled the position coming out of Clemson before the wheels fell off.
Strengths
- Smooth athlete with a knack for creating with his feet.
- Easy throwing motion, accurate at all levels.
- Untrainably calm under pressure
Weaknesses
- Limited experience, less than 500 career failures
- Under heavy attack he doesn't have much
- Crop a frame that still needs some muscle
What scouts say about Dante Moore
“NFL front offices began to view Dante before the Penn State game as someone whose play early in the year had not gone unnoticed and as someone who was already beginning to attract NFL attention even as a redshirt sophomore.
“At the time, one assistant general manager said he was on the radar more as a “movement forward” than as a clear cut guy for next year's draft, but it appears that performance against Penn State has NFL scouts and front office personnel starting to become even more intrigued by Moore as a possibility to get drafted next year.
“It won’t hurt Moore’s draft prospects that people throughout the NFL recruiting world continue to view this class as one of the most wide-open quarterback classes in recent memory.” — Matt Zenitz (CBS Sports senior national NFL and college football reporter)
Renner's 2026 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Fernando Mendoza remains at QB1; Breakout star Dante Moore lands with Steelers
Mike Renner
Dante Moore College Statistics
| Season | G | G.S. | Computer | TO | Comp% | Passing yards | TD | INT. | Passport yards | Complete the performance rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (Oregon) | 5 | 5 | 100 | 134 | 74.6% | 1210 | 14 | 1 | 9.0 | 183.5 |
| 2024 (Oregon) | 5 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 87.5% | 49 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 | 139.0 |
| 2023 (UCLA) | 9 | 5 | 114 | 213 | 53.5% | 1610 | 11 | 0 | 7.6 | 125.6 |
| Career | 19 | 10 | 221 | 355 | 62.3% | 2869 | 25 | 10 | 8.1 | 147.7 |
Dante Moore 247Sports Profile
High school: Martin Luther King (Detroit)
Variety: 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (100)
- National: 4 | Question: 3 | Michigan: 1
Check out Dante Moore's full profile on 247Sports. Here.
