Pate weighs in on Oregon's quarterback. Can Dante Moore elevate his game and lead the Ducks to glory after past struggles in big matchups?
Following a 56-22 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl, quarterback Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon for the 2026 season.
The two losses to Indiana and his performance in the Ducks' 23-0 win over Texas Tech in the CFP quarterfinal showed that Moore had much more to learn at the college level before he was ready to go pro.
Moore is a talented quarterback, but his lack of starting experience showed. He struggled to get the ball out quickly while under pressure and forced turnovers in key moments against Indiana.
Moore should be in the running for the Heisman Trophy in 2026.
During his show this week, Josh Pate suggested his confidence level in Moore isn't yet as high as he'd like it to be. While Moore has the ability to be great, he hasn't shown it in the biggest games.
“I'm just going to state my confidence level that these guys can deliver at an equal to or higher level, maybe even than is expected," Pate said. "So go with Oregon first. Dante Moore, my confidence level here, I want to be high.
"I want to be just sky high on Dante Moore. I would go medium to high. The thing that holds me back, relatively speaking, is he was not great in their bigger games last year."
Coming into spring football, Pate has questioned how good the offensive line will be for Oregon. Given the Ducks’ struggles in the trenches against TTU and IU, it stands to reason that Moore's play will be subject to how well his offensive line protects him.
Pate thinks the offensive line should do enough for Moore to show improvement.
“So I feel that they feel they're okay there, therefore I think Dante Moore will be okay and not running for his life," Pate said. And if he's not, they have got a plethora, and you know how rarely I use that word, of skill on the outside, it's Oregon.
"Okay, so they'll be loaded everywhere. The big game moments, that's what I need to see, man. If he's clicking there, then there is no medium here, it's just high confidence.”
The Ducks are loaded on defense, wide receiver, and running back. How far the team goes will depend on what the offensive line can do for Moore.
If the offensive line is great, the Ducks could be playing for the national title.