Oregon Ducks' Dante Moore could have been preparing for his NFL rookie season right now. But he chose to come back for one more run at a national title instead.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt released his top ten quarterback rankings ahead of the 2026 college football season. Another analyst shared his take behind Klatt's rankings.

"He arguably could've been the No. 2 QB taken in the draft this spring, but he elected to stay in school," On3's Nick Kosko reported covering Klatt's list.

Moore came in at number one, ahead of Texas Longhorns star Arch Manning at No.2 and Ohio State Buckeyes' Julian Sayin at No.3, as discussed by Klatt on the June 22 episode of The Joel Klatt Show.

That decision to stay in college says everything about where Moore's head is at. He was projected as a top two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, passed on roughly $52.5 million, and came back because he believes this Oregon roster can win it all.

Moore confirmed that mindset himself when he made his return announcement on ESPN.

"I'll be coming back to Oregon for one more year and being able to play for the Oregon Ducks and of course reach our goal and become national champions," Moore said back in January.

In 2025, Moore threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns, and ten interceptions on a 71.8 completion percentage, leading Oregon to a 13-2 record before falling to eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl semifinal.

The one thing that kept him off the Heisman radar last season was the interceptions. He also dealt with the absence of receiver Evan Stewart for much of the year due to injury. Stewart is healthy and back for 2026.

Manning at No. 2 and Sayin at No. 3 rounded out the top three. Both had strong cases, but Klatt went with Moore based on the potential he has shown.

"He's got gifts that you just cannot teach," he added. "He's got the mobility, the ability to rip it down the field. He can make every single throw out there."

Meanwhile, Moore comes back for two big goals.

Dante Moore is chasing a Heisman and a title in his final Season

Moore is not just on Klatt's list. ESPN also predicted him as Oregon's top Heisman candidate for 2026.

"Moore made a somewhat surprising decision after last season, forgoing the NFL draft where he would have likely been one of the top two or three quarterbacks selected to head back to Oregon for one more year," ESPN's Paolo Uggetti wrote.

CBS Sports ranked Oregon third nationally in its post-spring poll. If Moore cuts down the turnovers and Stewart gets through the year healthy, that number is not going anywhere.

Moving into the 2026 season, there will be a few games during which Moore can prove himself. One of them is the face-off against the Buckeyes on November 7, against another Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback, Sayin.

Against the Michigan State Spartans, Moore will have another opportunity to add to his numbers against a team projected to finish in the middle tier of the Big Ten in 2026.

Do you think Dante Moore can lead Oregon to a national title run in 2026? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar