Dante Moore’s Decision To Turn Down NFL Draft May Have Already Backfired

Dante Moore could’ve been a top-3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he chose to go back to Oregon for another season. Although we’re only two weeks into his 2026 campaign, fans are convinced that decision already backfired on him.

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Moore showcased a ton of potential during the 2025 season, completing 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While it was never confirmed by an NFL insider, fans assumed he returned to Oregon to avoid joining a franchise like the Cleveland Browns or New York Jets.

We’ll never know if Moore was ducking NFL teams. That being said, his draft stock has taken a bit of a hit this September.

After a sharp performance against Boise State last weekend, Moore looked out of sync against Oklahoma State this Saturday. He only completed 14 of 29 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-31 loss.

Once the Oregon-Oklahoma State game went final, NFL fans had a lot to say about Moore and his 2026 draft decision.

“Dante Moore is gonna wake up tomorrow wishing he was driving to a NFL stadium getting ready to make his rookie debut,” one fan said.

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“Those articles about Dante Moore being ruined by the Jets looking funny two weeks in,” a second fan wrote on X.

“Dante Moore not declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft might be one of the worst collegiate decisions we’ve ever seen,” another fan commented. “That 2026 QB class was terrible he would’ve easily went Round 1.”

Will Dante Moore’s stock drop?

The timing of Saturday’s performance for Moore is pretty brutal. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there was a huge NFL scouting contingent at the game in Stillwater.

While scouts were eager to see Moore, it was Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker who made the winning plays. He had 317 passing yards, 109 rushing yards, three total touchdowns and two interceptions.

Moore will return to action on Friday against Portland State. There’ll be plenty of eyes on him Sept. 26 when he takes on No. 14 USC.

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This story was originally published September 12, 2026 at 5:57 PM.