Analyst Josh Pate ranks the Oregon Ducks' star behind four rivals, challenging the Heisman hopeful to overcome past turnover struggles and prove his mettle in high-stakes Big Ten matchups.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is considered by many around the league to be the top quarterback prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft coming into the college football season.
Moore would have likely been the pick at No. 2 or No. 3 had he entered the 2026 draft. Moore chose to return to Oregon to earn more reps as a starter before jumping to the league.
During the "Josh Pate's College Football Show" on Sunday, the host put Moore as No. 5 on his list of top 10 quarterbacks for 2026, based on how he thinks they'll perform this fall.
Pate put Miami's Darian Mensah, Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss, Notre Dame's CJ Carr, and Ohio State's Julian Sayin above Moore. Pate wants to see Moore prove it against top-tier competition like Ohio State.
“I'll go Dante Moore five," Pate said. "I think he's going to have a big statistical year. Of that, I have very few questions. If they get a good enough offensive line product in front of him, he'll have a great statistical year. He could very well win the Heisman Trophy.
"Big question about Dante Moore and big question about Oregon, is when they get in the big moments, specifically, like they're going to go on the road to Ohio State this year. Can they go on the road and beat them? In that moment, is that the situation where if they need a drive late, Dante Moore can put it together? It's really all I care about at this point.”
It's a big question not only for Oregon, who has its best roster to win a national championship under head coach Dan Lanning, but for league scouts, who noted he struggled in both contests against Indiana and Texas Tech last season.
Moore needs to learn how to deal with pressure when he doesn't have a perfect pocket to step up in. He also must take care of the football. His turnovers against Indiana led to a blowout in the CFP semifinal.
A No. 5 ranking feels low for Moore, but he'll have more than enough chances to put the doubters to bed.
