Oregon's Dante Moore has plenty in his game to clean up if he wants to be a high draft pick in 2027.
On Wednesday, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore revealed he'd return to the school for one more season in 2026, hoping to polish his skills and lead the program to a national championship before going pro.
"With this decision, mainly, all my life has kind of just been, you know, being as most prepared as I can for any situation I go into," Moore said. "And when it comes to me just make my decision. Of course, I want to feel most prepared."
Moore led Oregon to an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl. However, the quarterback was outmatched by Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a 56-22 win by the Hoosiers.
Mendoza is expected to be the No. 1 pick in April's draft.
Moore was projected to be the No. 2 quarterback taken in the 2026 draft. With the New York Jets picking at No. 3 and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3, he likely wouldn't have to wait long on draft night to hear his name called.
However, there has been some skepticism about his readiness to be an NFL quarterback after being a starter at the college level for only one season.
ESPN's Todd McShay thinks Moore made the right decision. He thinks Moore needs to fix his flaw of holding on to the ball too long. In the CFP semifinal, it led to unnecessary sacks and a pick-6.
“Refinement happens first with self-scouting," McShay said on "SportsCenter" via On3. "He needs to go and find out why it is that he’s so inconsistent. Honestly, if I’m advising him, is the first thing. Why are we so inconsistent with pressure?...
"Secondly is, you’re making so many great reads and so many plays,” McShay said. “But you make a mistake like the pick six, or you hold onto the ball too long. How can we speed up this process?'
Moore will have an offseason to work on that issue before being able to prove to NFL teams he's improved in that area during the 2026 season.
Frankly, he needs to master getting the ball out of his hands quickly next year because he's facing even tougher pressure in the league for the remainder of his career.