Oregon Ducks star quarterback Dante Moore will be inactive again in a matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Moore participated in practice during the week, but is not ready to return after suffering a concussion against the USC Trojans.
This is a disappointing loss for Oregon's offense, as Moore has played at a high level. In the 2026 season, he has completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 926 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The 21-year-old also played well in 2025, completing 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
He helped the Ducks make it to the College Football Playoff Semifinal, and he could've been an early first-round pick had he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Instead, Moore chose to return to school, but with his injury and Oregon's two losses, it doesn't look like he'll get the chance to compete for a National Championship.
In Moore's absence, Dylan Raiola has been the quarterback for the Ducks. Raiola played well in his first two appearances at Oregon, but he struggled against the UCLA Bruins, completing six of 19 passes for 43 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions, which led to him being benched.
Brock Thomas took over for Raiola and played well, completing 11 of 15 passes for 136 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.
With the way Raiola struggled and Thomas being an efficient passer, there is a quarterback battle for Oregon ahead of their matchup against Nebraska. It's a must-win game for the Ducks, as they need to win out to have any chance of making the College Football Playoff.
Whoever ends up as the starting quarterback against the Cornhuskers will need to feed the talented weapons. The Ducks have one of the best tight ends in the country in Jamari Johnson, who was very productive in 2025, catching 32 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Oregon also has two talented receivers in Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore. In 2026, Stewart has 27 receptions for 352 yards and four touchdowns, while Moore has 18 receptions for 311 yards and four touchdowns.
The Ducks have a plethora of talent on the roster, but haven't performed to the standard that was expected entering the season. Oregon will hope to get Moore back on the field soon, but will need one of their backup quarterbacks to step up in his absence.