Mel Kiper gives eye-opening assessment of Oregon QB Dante Moore

Dante Moore has been fantastic for Oregon through two wins for the Ducks in 2025. He’s passed for 479 yards and six touchdowns, as he’s off to a blazing start as his first year as the starting quarterback in Eugene.

That has Mel Kiper Jr. wondering how high the young signal-caller’s ceiling is. The ESPN NFL Draft analyst believes Moore can rise up draft boards, especially if he keeps up a solid level of play when Oregon’s schedule gets tougher, with opponents like Penn State on the road on the horizon.

“I have been impressed with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore,” Kiper wrote. “He was a big recruit out of high school but struggled in Year 1 at UCLA and then sat behind Dillon Gabriel in Year 2 after transferring. Now he’s taking full advantage of this Will Stein offense in Eugene. Yes, the Ducks have only faced Montana State and Oklahoma State — two teams they should handle most of the time — but Moore is playing at a high level.

“The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder showed great accuracy on Saturday against the Cowboys. The touch on his deep balls was fantastic, and he routinely threw with precision from different arm angles and while rolling either direction. Moore has thrown for at least 200 yards, completed at least 75% of his throws and tossed at least three TD passes in both contests — and he hasn’t thrown any INTs yet.

“Now, the schedule is going to get tougher. I have Moore’s trip to Penn State circled for late September. How will he handle a ‘white out’ environment? But if Moore keeps playing like this, Round 1 will be in play.”

Depending on how Arch Manning plays over the remainder of the 2025 season, the top quarterback spot could be wide open when it comes to the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore might not elevate to become top overall pick material, but the Oregon quarterback would certainly love to get into the first round.

It’s not like the hype is out of nowhere for Moore either. He was a stud recruit, but his first season in college football at UCLA didn’t inspire many, and he didn’t play during Year 1 at Oregon, as he sat behind. a veteran in Gabriel. It all seems to be paying off now though.

This weekend will bring Gabriel and the Ducks to Northwestern, as they’ll face the Wildcats on the road. We’ll see if he can continue to show off some incredible play this season, and gain love from Kiper Jr. and other analysts moving forward.